Topline
The U.S. military is investigating whether an American service member was involved in carrying out an April 7 attack on the military’s Green Village base in eastern Syria, an incident that left four Americans wounded and was originally blamed on an Iran-backed militia.
The U.S. military is investigating a service member’s possible involvement in a strike on a base in … [+]
Key Facts
The “possible suspect” in the explosive attack—a U.S. service member who wasn’t named—is now back in the United States, an Army spokesperson said Monday in a statement to Forbes.
The spokesperson said the Army and Air Force are still investigating the attack, and the probe “may or may not develop sufficient evidence to identify a perpetrator(s) and … ensure a conviction in a court of law.”
Investigators initially thought the attack came from outside the base, as is typical for mortar and rocket attacks in the region, but later concluded an attacker had placed explosive charges near an ammunition storage area, the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition announced April 14.
The attack was carried out using a “military-grade” explosive device more powerful than a hand grenade, military officials told CNN, which first reported on the investigation.
Unnamed U.S. officials told CNN that security footage showed a figure “moving quickly” in two instances around the time of the attack, though it wasn’t apparent whether the figure was the same person in both cases.
The four wounded service members were treated for traumatic brain injuries, but returned to duty within weeks of the attack, CNN reported.
What We Don’t Know
The motive behind the Green Village attack remains unclear.
Key Background
Operation Inherent Resolve was formed in 2015 to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and it coordinates activities in other nearby countries. The Islamic State lost virtually all of its territory more than three years ago, but about 900 U.S. troops remain in Syria to support the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their fight against remaining Islamic State forces in the country. Iran-backed militias supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are active in Syria, and were initially blamed for the Green Village attack. Militias supported by Iran have also been accused of carrying out other attempted strikes on U.S. facilities in Iraq and Syria, including a separate mid-2021 artillery attack in eastern Syria in which no Americans were injured, Reuters reported.
Further Reading
“Four U.S. personnel injured in Syria attack -officials” (Reuters)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharysmith/2022/06/06/pentagon-investigating-whether-service-member-attacked-us-base-in-syria/