Iran Fires Missiles Into Syria Which Land Close To US Troops
Iran fired missiles into Syria early on Monday, with those weapons landing within three miles of U.S. forces in the area, reports CNN.
Six missiles were fired from Iran into the Al Bukamal district, which is near the Iran-Iraq border. Iranian state media stated that the reason for the attack was a retaliation in exchange for an strike of a military parade on September 22 — which Iranian President Rouhani ascribed to American forces, as previously reported by the Inquisitr.
American military surveillance had revealed that Iran was moving the missiles into position last week, the discovered made, in part, due to satellite monitoring. This intelligence meant that U.S. officials knew that the strike would be coming, and could prepare for an eventual bombing. Following Monday’s bombings, the U.S. military is watching to see if the launchers are moved elsewhere or whether they will be restocked.
Beyond launching the six missiles from Kemansheh, the Iranian military also sent seven military drones to fire more missiles into eastern Syria — a location which American troops are based in the embattled country.
Iran has blamed the attack in September on United States forces and American allies in Syria, which is why the strikes targeted the specific part of Syria that have been hosting said U.S. military members.
UPDATE
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (#IRGC) strikes the gatherings of the ringleaders of the recent terror attack in the southern Iranian city of #Ahvaz, in the east of the Euphrates with several surface-to-surface ballistic missiles. https://t.co/fK2IJCoAYC pic.twitter.com/P6C37VapO4— Press TV (@PressTV) October 1, 2018
There were three blunt messages on the missiles that were launched into Syria — with the bombs having “death to America,” “death to Israel” and “death to the house of Saud” painted on them in Arabic.
According to Iranian state media, the strikes hit the headquarters of a Sunni extremist organization, and commanders in the military vowed that this was just one of several revenge attacks on the horizon.
The specific area targeted is just east of the Euphrates river — and is one of the last remaining ISIS strongholds in Syria. This area has seen U.S. forces and Kurdish militia fighting against the self-styled Caliphate in the region.
Colonel Sean Ryan — the spokesperson for the coalition against ISIS — confirmed that the strike landed near the troops but that “no forces were in danger.”
U.S. intelligence has recently completed a report revealing that Iran seems to be planning a strike against American forces in Syria in addition to other locations in the region.
Traditionally countries give warning of an attack in an area occupied with soldiers — if it’s not targeting those forces. On this occasion, Iran gave no notice to the coalition forces in the area, meaning that the action was no doubt meant to intimidate, and perhaps injure, United States military members.
Both the United States and Saudi Arabia have rejected Iran’s claims that coalition forces were ultimately responsible for the attack — and could retaliate against Iran for what they perceive to be an attack on coalition troops.
