The US military carried out “precision airstrikes” in eastern Syria in areas controlled by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to “protect and defend US personnel” in response to an attack earlier this month targeting US forces, the US Central Command said in a statement early Wednesday morning.
The airstrikes “took proportionate, deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize the risk of casualties,” according to CENTCOM.
Neither Syria nor Iran had acknowledged the attacks by later Wednesday morning.
“The United States does not seek conflict, but will continue to take necessary measures to protect and defend our people,” the statement said, adding: “U.S. forces remain in Syria to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.”
US forces have been in Syria since 2015, to assist in the fight against the Islamic State.