US-led anti-jihadist coalition base in Syria attacked by drones

Russian forces in Syria routinely ignore Israeli airstrikes against alleged Iranian-backed deployments and arms transfers.

A base in Syria of the US-led anti-jihadist coalition in the southeast of the country was the target of a drone attack on Monday, AFP reports. Coalition forces “retaliated to an attack carried out by several unmanned aerial systems (UAS) near Al-Tanf base at 6:30 a.m. local time,” the anti-jihadist coalition said in a statement, without identifying the attackers.

“Coalition forces intercepted one of the drones (…), a second exploded in the complex of Maghawir Al-Thawra”, a rebel group supported by Washington and active in the Al-Tanf region. According to the press release, the attack caused no casualties.

Next to the Al-Tanf base, hundreds of American soldiers remain deployed in northeastern Syria. On the frontline of the fight against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), supported by the international coalition, defeated the jihadist group in Syria in 2019, driving it out of its last stronghold in the east. .

Israel targeted Iranian targets in a series of strikes on Sunday near Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s home region and near major Syrian Russian bases on the Mediterranean coast, regional intelligence sources said, as well than Syrian military sources, reports Reuters.

Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on suspected Iranian targets in recent years, but has largely avoided hitting coastal provinces, where Russia’s main military assets are concentrated.

The latest attacks are part of an escalation of what has been a low-intensity conflict aimed at slowing Iran’s growing rise in Syria, according to Israeli and regional military experts.

The coastal areas are mainly inhabited by the minority Alawite sect of Assad, which dominates the upper echelons of power in the security services and the military.

Russian forces in Syria routinely ignore Israeli airstrikes against alleged Iranian-backed deployments and arms transfers.

Additionally, tensions have risen between Israel and Russia following Jerusalem’s condemnation of the war in Ukraine and Moscow’s control of a Jewish emigration agency.

Israel announced last month that its warplanes were targeted by Russian anti-aircraft fire over Syria in May but missed, describing the confrontation as a “one-off incident”.

Syria has accused Israel of carrying out large-scale attacks on Damascus’ main international airport last June, which severely damaged runways and blocked flights for weeks.

Israeli defense officials say the civilian airport has been repeatedly used by Iran to transport weapons and militias.

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Gabriel MIHAI

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