Pentagon discloses casualties in Syria assault
Eight US service members experienced concussions and smoke inhalation due to a drone strike on their base in Hasakah Province, which ignited a fire. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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The Pentagon confirmed that eight US troops sustained injuries from a drone attack on their base in Rimelan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Initial reports of the incident indicated that there were no casualties.
Footage circulated online last week suggested that the drone may have ignited a fire at the installation in Rimelan, which is situated close to the borders of Türkiye and Iraq.
On Tuesday, Air Force Major-General Patrick Ryder, the spokesperson for the US Department of Defense, reported the injuries to the media. He indicated that the affected personnel received treatment for “traumatic brain injury” and smoke inhalation, with three of them having already returned to duty.
Ryder stated that the US holds the view that “Iran-backed forces” conducted the attack, although the Pentagon is still in the process of identifying the specific militia responsible.
Initial accounts of the drone strike at Rimelan did not report any injuries; however, an unnamed US official informed Reuters last Friday that medical evaluations and damage assessments were underway.
Rimelan, referred to as Rmelan or Rumalyn, is part of Syria’s Hasakah governorate. US forces established a presence there in late 2015, taking control of the Abu Hajar airport and designating it as the Rumalyn Landing Zone (RLZ). This facility has served as a logistical hub for US troops and their Kurdish allies in the ongoing fight against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists.
In 2014, IS seized significant territories in Syria and Iraq. As Iran and Russia supported the Syrian government forces against the militants, the US deployed troops and allied with Kurdish militias to secure the eastern region of Syria, which encompasses most of the nation’s oil reserves and agricultural land.
Despite objections from the Syrian government and violations of international law, Washington has maintained approximately 900 troops in Syria. The Pentagon characterizes its mission as “preventing a resurgence” of IS. At the same time, the Kurdish militias in the region, aided by US support, have resisted reintegration into Syria.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News