Suspected US Airstrikes in Syria Target Iranian-Backed Forces

In a series of pre-dawn strikes in eastern Syria on Tuesday morning, seven fighters from Iranian-backed militias were killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group,  reported. The war monitor documented a sequence of explosions in the province of Deir ez-Zur, where military installations associated with the Syrian army and Iranian-backed militias in cities such as al-Bukamal, al-Mayadeen, and Deir ez-Zur itself were targeted.

The attacks, which occurred amid reports of unidentified drones flying in the area, have not been officially attributed. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggests they were likely carried out by the US military, potentially with Israeli involvement. Among the casualties was a commander, although his identity has not been disclosed.

The Syrian government and Iranian officials have yet to respond to these allegations or the reported drone activity. Opposition activists have posited that the strikes were executed by US forces, continuing a pattern of US-led operations against Iranian interests in Syria amid rising regional tensions between the US and Iran.