US Strikes Hit Syria After Suicide Drone Kills US Contractor
AllSides Summary
The U.S. military carried out air strikes against Iran-linked groups in Syria after a suicide drone attack killed a U.S. contractor, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The Strike on US Troops: A suicide drone struck a coalition base in northeast Syria on Thursday, killing one U.S. contractor and wounding five servicemembers and another contractor. U.S. intel believes the drone is of Iranian origin.
Retaliation: Austin said Thursday that "At the direction of President Biden, I authorized U.S. Central Command forces to conduct precision airstrikes tonight in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The airstrikes were conducted in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC." The U.S. strikes killed at least eight pro-Iranian fighters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. No civilian casualties were reported.
For Context: The head of U.S. Central Command testified to Congress Thursday that there have been 78 attacks against bases and facilities housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria since January 2021. Roughly 900 U.S. troops are stationed in southern and eastern Syria for counterterrorism operations, without explicit permission from the Syrian government.
How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum highlighted the news as a top story on Friday, and covered the details similarly.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
U.S. contractor killed, 5 service members and contractor wounded in suicide drone strike in Syria
The United States launched airstrikes against Iranian-linked targets in Syria on Thursday after a U.S. contractor was killed and five U.S. service members and another contractor were wounded when a suicide drone hit a coalition base in the country's northeast.
The intelligence community believes the drone to have been of Iranian origin, the Defense Department said in a statement. The U.S. retaliated with airstrikes on Iranian-linked targets in the area, which one activist group said killed fighters on the ground.
One of the radars used to detect incoming threats at the military base in...
From the Center
US bombs Syria targets after deadly drone attack
The US has carried out air strikes against Iran-linked groups in eastern Syria after a drone attack killed a US contractor, the US defence chief said.
Eight pro-Iran fighters were killed, according to a monitoring group.
Defence officials said the air strikes happened on Thursday night, hours after the drone attack which US intelligence said was "of Iranian origin".
US bases in north-east Syria have come under attack before, with the US responding with air strikes.
Last August, the US bombed sites in eastern Syria which it said were linked to...
From the Right
Drone Strike Kills 1 Contractor, Injures 5 U.S. Service Members In Syria
A drone attack in Syria has left an American contractor dead and five service members injured, sparking retaliatory measures by the United States military.
Late Thursday night, a drone strike was launched against U.S. personnel in northeast Syria, CNN reported. Citing information from the intelligence community, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the drone was of Iranian origin and as such the United States military responded with “precision airstrikes” in Syria, targeting installations used by groups connected with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
“The airstrikes were conducted in response to today’s...
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