(RepublicanReport.org) – In October, groups targeting US forces in Iraq and Syria struck at least 16 times over less than two weeks. The Pentagon confirmed the attacks were a mixture of drones and rockets launched by Iranian-backed groups. More than 20 US service members were injured, and one American contractor died during the strikes. The United States struck back — twice — hitting ammunition and weapons storage facilities in Syria. Now, CNN confirmed the US took another hit, this time from forces based in Yemen.
On November 8, a defense official stated an unmanned US drone — an MQ-9 Reaper — was shot down by Houthi forces off the coast of Yemen. The military aircraft was flying over international waters when the strike occurred. The Iranian-backed militant group admitted responsibility for the incident that same day, and CENTCOM is reportedly looking into the incident. But that wasn’t the first time Houthis attacked US assets in the region recently. CNN reported that US warships intercepted multiple drones and missiles in the same area in late October.
The Houthi attacks occurred around the same time as the other incidents in Syria and Iraq. The strikes weren’t attributed to the same group, but the Pentagon confirmed the aggressors were also Iranian-backed. During his statement about the Syrian and Iraqi attacks, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said President Joe Biden’s priority was protecting US personnel and that the US would continue to defend itself against attacks. Austin encouraged the aggressors to refrain from escalating the matter. Currently, the US military has about 900 members serving in Syria, with 2,500 more in Iraq. They share a primary mission — to defeat ISIS.
Strikes by groups doing Iran’s dirty work have increased since Hamas’ surprise attack against Israel on October 7. According to reports, US intelligence believes Iran is planning more attacks against its forces in the region.
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