The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) launched air strikes on over 85 sites associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force and its allied militias in Syria and Iraq on Friday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that these strikes resulted in the deaths of 18 individuals in Syria.
The operation, detailed by CENTCOM, involved multiple aircraft, including long-range bombers from the US, deploying over 125 precision-guided munitions. Targets included command centres, intelligence operations and storage facilities for missiles, drones, and other military assets linked to the militias and the Revolutionary Guard.
President Joe Biden affirmed the strikes were a direct response to attacks on American personnel. Despite this, Iraq labelled the strikes a breach of its sovereignty, especially criticising the targeting of areas like Al-Qaim and other border regions.
In Syria, American forces hit a range of sites across a 130-kilometer expanse from Deir ez-Zor (Dêrezor) to the Iraqi border, targeting locations such as Al-Mayadeen and Al-Bukamal. The Damascus government condemned these actions, citing civilian casualties and damage to both public and private properties.
These air strikes follow a recent attack on US forces in Jordan by the “Iraqi Islamic Resistance”, which resulted in casualties among American soldiers. The CENTCOM statement highlighted the strategic significance of the targeted facilities in disrupting the operational capabilities of the Quds Force and its militias, which have been implicated in regional conflicts and attacks on coalition forces.
