Two military bases of the US occupation army in Syria came under heavy attack late on 24 March, leaving multiple casualties among the troops stationed at Al-Omar and Conoco oil fields in Deir Ezzor governorate.
BREAKING NEWS: US bases directly targeted by drones and missiles in oil rich northeast Syria.
Casualties reported among the US forces. pic.twitter.com/eqyST5Bhzj
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) March 24, 2023
According to local reports, flames rose from inside the occupation base at Al-Omar, Syria’s largest oil field.
No group has taken responsibility for the daring operation. According to the Pentagon, one attack was carried out with rockets, while the other “involved multiple Iranian drones.”
Friday night’s attack marked the third armed operation against US troops within 24 hours.
Late on 23 March, a drone strike hit the US occupation base at Kharab al-Jir military airport in Hasakah governorate, leaving at least one US contractor dead and several troops injured.
US jets bombed several locations in the city of Deir Ezzor in retaliation, targeting the Syrian army and Iranian advisors. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the F-15 jets were deployed from the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
In response to the airstrikes, a rocket barrage hit the US base at Al-Omar just hours later.
Commenting on Friday’s airstrikes, US President Joe Biden said his country is “prepared for us to act forcefully to protect our people,” adding that the US will “continue to keep up our efforts to counter terrorist threats in the region.”
He also stressed that the US “does not, does not seek conflict with Iran.”
His comments come at a time when both Iran and Syria have welcomed overtures from Washington’s most valued Gulf ally, Saudi Arabia, under the auspices of Russia and China.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has played an instrumental role in helping the Syrian and Russian armies push back against ISIS and other extremist groups in Syria over recent years.
US military bases in Syria regularly come under attack by local resistance groups, as popular discontent has grown significantly over their ongoing theft of Syria’s natural resources.
Earlier this month, the US Congress voted against ending Washington’s illegal occupation of Syria.