'These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria,' said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a statement.
U.S. military aircraft have carried out strikes in eastern Syria against facilities associated with Iranian-backed militant groups believed to be responsible for more than a dozen rocket and drone attacks on American troops in Iraq and Syria that injured 21 service members, the military said Thursday night.
"The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop," Austin continued. "Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them. If attacks by Iran's proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people.
Twenty-one service members have been injured, according to the Pentagon's latest information. Officials said all of those troops returned to duty after experiencing minor injuries or traumatic brain injuries, but an American civilian contractor died from a cardiac arrest that occurred during one of the attacks.
The U.S. has previously responded to these attacks with airstrikes targeting the proxy groups, most recently in March."My warning to the ayatollah that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond, and he should be prepared," Biden told reporters, referring to Iran's supreme leader.
Ryder pinned the blame for the recent attacks in Iraq and Syria on fighters supported by Iran and held Iran responsible but he said he wasn't going to telegraph any potential U.S. military response -- "other than to say we would do so at a time and place of our choosing."
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