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A U.S. contractor was killed and five U.S. military personnel were killed when a one-way unmanned aerial vehicle crashed into a maintenance facility at a coalition base near Hasakah in northeastern Syria today at approximately 1:38 p.m. local time. One US contractor was injured.
Intelligence agencies assess that the UAV is of Iranian origin.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin said, “At the direction of President Biden, the U.S. Central Command will conduct a precision airstrike tonight against a facility used by a group affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in eastern Syria. I have allowed it,” he said. “The airstrikes were carried out in response to today’s attacks and a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC.”
These precision attacks are intended to protect and defend US personnel. The United States took balanced and prudent actions aimed at limiting the risk of escalation and minimizing casualties.
“As President Biden has made clear, we will take all steps necessary to protect our people and will always respond when and where we choose,” Austin said. “No group will attack our troops indiscriminately.”
“Our thoughts are with the families and colleagues of the contractors killed and those injured in today’s attack,” he said.
Two of the wounded servicemen were treated at the scene, and three more servicemen and a US contractor were medically evacuated to a coalition medical facility in Iraq.
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