A HH-60 helicopter prepares to land during a medical evacuation exercise within the 55km deconfliction zone in Syria, May 27, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. William Howard)
A civilian contractor working with United States forces at Ayn al-Assad Air Base in the western Iraqi province of al-Anbase died from a cardiac arrest during a “false alarm,” Reuters reported on October 20, citing American officials.
Ayn al-Assad Air base and al-Harir Air Base in the northern Iraqi Kurdistan region, which also hosts U.S. troops, were both attacked with suicide drones on October 18. The U.S. Central Command said that the attacks were repelled, but acknowledged “minor losses” at Ayn al-Assad.
Ayn al-Assad was targeted again on October 19, this time with a salvo of rockets. Multiple blasts were heard inside the air base.
On the same day, a rocket attack targeted the U.S. Camp Victory near Baghdad International Airport, Iraqi police said, without providing further details.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of armed factions backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, claimed responsibility for the attacks on Ayn al-Assad and al-Harir, saying that they were carried out in response to the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.
The operations of the Islamic Resistance were not limited to Iraq. On October 19, it claimed responsibility for attacks that targeted two U.S. bases in Syria, the Conoco gas plant in the eastern governorate of Deir Ezzor and a garrison in the southeastern area of al-Tanf. Several U.S. troops were lightly wounded at al-Tanf.
On the same day a gas pipeline linked to the Conoco gas plant was also blown up by unknown saboteurs, which caused a large fire.
The recent attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria are clearly meant to pressure Washington, who has shown unconditional support for Israel since the October 7 Hamas-led surprise attack. The attacks could provoke a military response from the U.S.
“While I’m not going to forecast any potential responses to these attacks, I will say that we will take all necessary actions to defend U.S. and coalition forces against any threat,” Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters on October 19. “Any response, should one occur, will come at a time in a manner of our choosing.”
U.S. forces in the Middle East will likely face even more escalation once Israel launches its highly-touted ground attack on Gaza.
Iran and its allies appear to be willing to go on an open war against Israel and the U.S. in order to prevent the defeat of Hamas, especially that this could mean the reoccupation of Gaza and the displacement of more than two million Palestinians.
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is this like the us capitol police cop that also died of a heart attack but my unelected, illegitimate gov’t tried to lie and say the “insurrectionists” you know those grandmas going for a walk on the grounds with all those agent provocateurs from the fbi… died from violence?
was it a torture doctor? they don’t say what the “contractors” mos or specialty was…
fake news. he died from rough sex with a blow-up doll. good riddance you invading dead scumbag.
they blew up the blow-up doll? confused… precision strike?
one less hillbilly—more crack cocaine for me
wikipedia told me that this was an ethiopian goat herder—sf is very bias i am genius
invaders must die