Armed Iraqi factions announced early Saturday morning that they had targeted two U.S. military bases in Syria with drones, specifically in the Green Village and the Conoco gas field. A statement from these factions clarified that the attack occurred on Friday, targeting the American military bases in these locations as part of their ongoing resistance against U.S. forces in Iraq and the region. This action was also described as a response to what they referred to as “massacres by the Israeli entity in Gaza.”
Over the past few weeks, these Iraqi factions have targeted several American sites in Syria and Iraq, retaliating against the targeting of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This ongoing conflict highlights the complex geopolitical tensions in the region, involving various state and non-state actors.
Iraqi armed factions, identifying themselves as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, have recently escalated their attacks against US forces stationed in Syria and Iraq. These factions have claimed responsibility for a series of drone attacks targeting US military bases, including significant strikes on the Al-Tanf Garrison in southern Syria and other locations such as the Al-Shaddadi base in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province. The group’s actions are reportedly in response to what they describe as the “Zionist entity’s (Israel’s) massacres” in Gaza, signaling a retaliatory motive linked to broader regional tensions and conflicts.
The attacks have raised concerns about the potential for further escalation and the risk of drawing the US and its allies deeper into regional conflicts. US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed multiple attacks but reported no casualties or significant damage to infrastructure. The US military’s air defense systems managed to intercept most of the incoming projectiles, although some did impact the bases. These incidents underscore the volatile security situation in the region and the complex web of alliances and hostilities that involve US forces, Iranian-backed militias, and various armed groups operating across Iraq and Syria.
These developments come amid a backdrop of heightened tensions following recent Israeli military actions in Gaza, which have prompted vows of retaliation from Tehran and increased activity by Iran-backed groups in the region. The US has attributed the rise in attacks on its forces to this escalation and has conducted air raids on facilities used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups in eastern Syria as a response.
