President Biden ordered retaliatory airstrikes in eastern Syria on Christmas Day after three US soldiers were wounded - one critically - in a drone strike carried out by Iran-backed terrorists at an American base earlier in the day, the White House confirmed.
The US military carried out the strikes around 8:45 p.m. EST, likely killing "several Kataib Hezbollah militants" and destroying multiple facilities used by the group, said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command, in a statement.
The Airstrikes
The airstrikes were carried out by two USAF F-16 fighter planes that struck installations that were linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and other groups located near the town of Abu Kamal in eastern Syria near the Iraq border.
"These strikes are intended to hold accountable those elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and degrade their ability to continue attacks," Kurilla said, adding, "We will always protect our forces."
A one-way drone strike from the militant group struck a US base in Erbil, Iraq, Monday, causing three US casualties, officials said. The identity of the critically wounded US service member has not been released and the extent of the other's injuries is unclear.
"My prayers are with the brave Americans who were injured," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. "The President places no higher priority than the protection of American personnel serving in harm's way."
"The United States will act at a time and in a manner of our choosing should these attacks continue," Austin said.
The Aftermath
The BBC reported that the Iraqi government condemned the air strike as being a "clear hostile act" while reporting that one person was killed and 18 others were injured, including civilians.
US bases and assets in the Middle East have increasingly come under threat of attack by Iran-aligned militias in recent weeks over Washington's support for Israel in its fight against Hamas in Gaza since the war erupted in October.
