US Army Central Command spokesman Col. Joe Buccino said in a statement Wednesday: “Today’s strikes were necessary to protect and defend US personnel” and were in response to an Aug. 15 attack targeting US forces. The strikes were “proportionate, deliberate action aimed at containing the risk of escalation and minimizing the risk of casualties,” he added. Buccino did not identify the targets or provide casualty figures for the strikes, which were ordered by President Joe Biden. There was no immediate acknowledgment by Syrian state media that the strikes had hit Deir Ezzor. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the attack. The August 15 attack saw drones allegedly fired by Iranian-backed militias target the al-Tanf garrison used by US forces. US Central Command described the attack as “zero casualties and no damage” at the time. Deir Ez-Zor is a strategic province that borders Iraq and contains oil fields. Militia groups backed by Iran and Syrian forces control the area and have been frequently targeted by Israeli warplanes in previous strikes. US forces entered Syria in 2015, supporting allied forces in their fight against the Islamic State.
