U.S. Garrison In Syria’s Al-Tanf Was Attacked With Drones: Monitoring Group
Early on January 20, a drone attack targeted a key garrison of the United States-led coalition in the southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanf, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR)
The London-based monitoring group said that the U.S. placed its troops in al-Tanf on high-alert after the attack, which injured a fighter of the Army of Free Syria. The group, previously known as Maghaweir al-Thowra, is the coalition’s main proxy in the garrison.
Around 200 U.S. troops are usually deployed in al-Tanf. The coalition maintains a 55-kilometers around the garrison, which blocks a strategic highway between the Syrian capital, Damascus, and the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
According to the SOHR, the drone attack likely carried out by Iranian-backed forces in Syria or Iraq. The U.S. Central Command is yet to comment on the monitoring group’s report.
If confirmed, this would be the first attack on al-Tanf this year. Forces backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were blamed for two attacks which targeted the garrison on October 20 and August 15 of last year. Suicide drones and rockets were used in the attacks, which were reportedly carried out in response to Israeli strikes on Syria.
The U.S.-led coalition have been working to expand its presence in al-Tanf. In September, the coalition appointed a new radical leader for its proxies in the garrison, then went on to reorganize and rebrand them. In the same month, there was reports about the deployment of air defense systems in the area. Later in October, the coalition approved a plan to boost their ranks with more than 2,000 new militants.
One of the garrison’s main tasks is reportedly to act as a forward intelligence gathering center in support of Israel’s military activities against Iranian-backed forces in Syria. Furthermore, Israeli fighter jets launch attacks on targets in central and northern Syria from al-Tanf no-fly zone on a regular basis.
The alleged drone attack on al-Tanf could provoke a military response from the U.S., which retaliated to nearly all previous attacks on the garrison.
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