US military bases under attack in the Middle East

Căn cứ quân sự Mỹ bị tấn công dồn dập ở Trung Đông - 1 — US At-Tanf base in Syria (Photo: Aljazeera).

Al Mayadeen TV channel on November 6 quoted sources saying that three military bases in Iraq and Syria, where US forces are stationed, were attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

According to sources, the Ayn al-Asad base in Iraq's Al Anbar province has been attacked by drones at least twice.

Another drone attack took place on a facility belonging to the US-led Western coalition in the Syrian border city of Al-Tanf.

Sources also said that Shia armed units of the Islamic Resistance movement in Iraq shelled a base north of the city of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan.

There is currently no information about who might be behind the attacks and no details have been released about the consequences of the attacks.

Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder said on October 31 that a total of 27 attacks on US bases in the Middle East have taken place since October 17, including 16 in Iraq and 11 in Syria.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on October 31 warned parties to stop attacking US forces deployed in the Middle East. He said these attacks were carried out with the support of Iran, and warned that the Pentagon would take measures to respond if these attacks continued.

Earlier, the Pentagon announced that, at the direction of President Joe Biden, US military forces conducted attacks on two facilities in eastern Syria, which are believed to be used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups, late on October 26.

According to the US Secretary of Defense, "these precision self-defense strikes are the US response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks by Iranian-backed militia groups against US military personnel in Iraq and Syria since October 17."

The US Defense Secretary added that President Biden had directed the action "to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks" and will defend the country, its people and its interests.

Căn cứ quân sự Mỹ bị tấn công dồn dập ở Trung Đông - 2 — Major US military bases in the Middle East (Photo: Aljazeera).

The latest attacks on US military bases come as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is holding a series of meetings with US partners in the Middle East. During his trip, Blinken will visit Türkiye, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Cyprus.

The US has deployed troops and military equipment to the Middle East after the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on November 5 that an Ohio-class submarine capable of carrying cruise missiles had been deployed to the Middle East. Previously, the Pentagon deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Mediterranean after the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hamas forces.

The Pentagon also confirmed that the US has prepared about 2,000 soldiers to be on high alert, awaiting orders to deploy to the mission area if necessary.

The United States on October 21 announced the deployment of additional missile defense systems to the Middle East, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and Patriot air defense battalions, to protect US forces in the region.

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