Topline
A U.S. contractor was killed while several other soldiers were wounded after a drone attack on a Coalition base near the city of Hasakah in northeast Syria, prompting retaliatory airstrikes by the U.S. military against insurgents in eastern Syria.
US troops patrol in the countryside of Syria’s Hasakeh province near the Turkish border, on February … [+]
Key Facts
According to an official statement issued by the Pentagon, five U.S. service members and another U.S. contractor were injured in the drone strike, which took place on Thursday afternoon local time.
Two of the wounded soldiers received treatment at the coalition facility, while four others, including the injured contractor, were evacuated to a coalition medical facility in neighboring Iraq.
A U.S. intelligence assessment found the “one-way” drone to be of Iranian origin.
After the strike, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he, “at the direction of President Biden,” authorized U.S. Central Command to carry out “precision airstrikes” targeting facilities used by Iran-linked groups in eastern Syria.
Austin said the strikes, carried out to protect U.S. forces, were proportionate and “intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize casualties.”
This is a developing story.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/03/24/drone-attack-kills-us-contractor-in-syria-pentagon-responds-with-airstrikes/