Surge in Attacks Against US Bases in Eastern Syria Linked to Israel-Hamas Conflict
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a series of 38 attacks on US outposts in eastern Syria, escalating between October 19 and November 17. These strikes, conducted both by land and using drones, primarily targeted American bases located in the oil- and gas-rich eastern province of Deir ez-Zur. The Britain-based Syrian war monitor attributes these assaults to groups retaliating against US support for Israel’s military actions in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The majority of these attacks are believed to be orchestrated by the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” an Iraqi Shiite militia. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggests that these strikes form part of a broader retaliatory campaign against US forces by pro-Iran fighters based in Iraq and Syria.
On the same day, Sham FM, a pro-government Syrian radio station, reported explosions within the al-Omar oil fields in Deir ez-Zur, which house a US military base. Furthermore, a base for Iran-backed fighters in Deir ez-Zur’s eastern countryside was also targeted, indicating an intensifying confrontation between these fighters and US forces in the region.
