US Troops Fighting in Syria
So, get this—early Tuesday, U.S. forces took out some serious firepower near one of our bases in eastern Syria. We’re talking three truck-mounted rocket launchers, a tank, and some mortars. Apparently, these things had been firing rockets and mortars in the direction of our guys at Military Support Site Euphrates. No one’s sure who exactly was behind it, but there are plenty of Iranian-backed militias roaming around that area, so it’s a good bet.
At the same time, Syria’s civil war is flaring up again. Rebel forces, led by this jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, made a big move last week and actually seized Aleppo—first time since 2016. Now Assad’s government, with help from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, is scrambling to fight back with airstrikes and reinforcements. It’s a mess, and just adds to the chaos in the Middle East with Israel fighting Hamas and Hezbollah on its end.
Meanwhile, our troops are still in Syria and Iraq, mainly keeping ISIS in check. There are about 900 U.S. service members in Syria and another 2,500 in Iraq. And here’s the kicker—our bases in the region have been hit over 200 times since that Hamas attack on Israel last October. It’s like there’s no end to the trouble out there.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2024-12-03/american-forces-syria-strike-16049279.html