June 2021 United States airstrike in Syria explained

June 2021 United States airstrike in Syria
Partof:	the American-led intervention in the Syrian civil war
Type:	Air interdiction
Location:	Imam Ali military base, Abu Kamal border crossing, Abu Kamal, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria
Commanded By:	Joe Biden
Target:	Kata'ib Hezbollah Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada
Timezone:	local time, UTC+3
Executed By:	United States Air Force
Casualties:	4-9 militiamen killed^[1]

On 28 June 2021, President Biden directed airstrikes against Iran-backed militia groups close to the Syria-Iraq border.^[2] F-15E and F-16 aircraft were used to launch the attack in what the U.S. described as a retaliatory attack against U.S. facilities and personnel in Iraq by militia groups.^{[3] [4]} Two operational and weapons storage facilities were targeted in Syria, the U.S. military revealed in a statement.^[5] Despite the U.S. not disclosing the information regarding the casualties in the attack, the SOHR stated that at least nine Iran-backed Iraqi militia fighters died, leaving many others injured.^[6] Iraqi militia groups aligned with Iran in a statement named four members of the Kataib Sayyed al-Shuhada faction they said were killed in the attack on the Syria-Iraq border.

Reaction

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi condemned the air attack as a "blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty and Iraqi national security".^[7] Meanwhile, Syrian state media (SANA) reported that an air missile attack after midnight on residential houses in the countryside of Abu Kamal, presumably by American warplanes, killed a child and injured three civilians.^[8]

Aftermath

Hours later, U.S. forces in Syria came under fire, following the U.S. strikes on the Syria-Iraqi border.^[9] Pro-Iranian militias fired rockets at the American base at Al-Omar Oilfield in Syria in response to U.S. airstrikes.^[10] The U.S. coalition responded by firing heavy artillery on Iranian-backed Militias Positions around Al-Mayadin.^{[11] [12]} There were no injuries sustained during the attack, the spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, Col. Wayne Marotto disclosed.^{[13] [14]}

See also

• List of United States attacks on Syria during the Syrian civil war
• February 2021 United States airstrike in Syria

Notes and References

1. Web site: US strikes at Iraqi-Syrian borders – Seven members of Al-Hashd al-Shaabi killed and military post destroyed in US air attack on Iranian militia. 28 June 2021.
2. Web site: Biden orders U.S. airstrikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria. Axios. 28 June 2021.
3. Web site: US airstrikes target Iran-backed militias in Syria, Iraq. June 27, 2021. AP News.
4. Web site: U.S. warplanes strike Iran-backed militia in Iraq, Syria. June 27, 2021. Reuters.
5. Web site: US carries out air raids on Iran-backed militias in Syria, Iraq. Al Jazeera. June 28, 2021.
6. Web site: Death toll update Nine militiamen of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces killed in US airstrikes near Syria-Iraq border. The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. June 28, 2021.
7. Web site: US raids slammed as 'blatant violation' of Iraq's sovereignty. Al Jazeera. 28 June 2021.
8. Web site: Aerial aggression believed to be American on border area with Iraq in Deir Ezzor countryside. SANA. June 28, 2021.
9. Web site: U.S. troops come under fire in Syria after strikes against Iran-backed militias. 28 June 2021. Reuters.
10. Web site: Reacting to US strikes on Iranian positions Iranian-backed militias shell US military base in Deir Ezzor, causing material damage. The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. June 28, 2021.
11. Web site: US forces in Syria attacked after air raids on armed groups. www.aljazeera.com.
12. Web site: US Troops Come Under Fire in Syria after Strikes Against Pro-Iran Militias. Asharq AL-awsat.
13. Web site: US troops come under fire in Syria after weekend airstrikes. Joseph. Choi. 28 June 2021. The Hill.
14. Web site: U.S. troops come under fire in Syria day after airstrikes targeted militias. The Week. 28 June 2021 .