Islam Times - US Carries Out Airstrikes Ordered by Biden in Eastern Syria

Islam Times - Two months into the new US administration, President Joe Biden did not hesitate in violating Syrian sovereignty. On Thursday, following media reports that the US had carried out an airstrike on targets in Syrian territory; the US War Department confirmed the information, saying that airstrikes were conducted in response to recent attacks in Iraq.

The Pentagon also confirmed that airstrikes were ordered by Biden.

According to the War Department statement, multiple facilities that had been used by groups, such as Kata'ib Hezbollah and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, were destroyed.

"At President Biden's direction, US military forces earlier this evening conducted airstrikes against groups in eastern Syria. These strikes were authorized in response to recent attacks against American and Coalition personnel in Iraq, and to ongoing threats to those personnel", the statement read.

The Pentagon highlighted that the attack, described as a "proportionate military response", was conducted "together with diplomatic measures, including consultation with Coalition partners".

"The operation sends an unambiguous message: President Biden will act to protect American and Coalition personnel. At the same time, we have acted in a deliberate manner that aims to de-escalate the overall situation in both eastern Syria and Iraq", the statement read.

According to The Washington Post, citing an anonymous US official, the single strike targeted "a cluster of buildings and was believed to have killed up to a handful of people".

Reuters reported earlier, citing unnamed US officials, that the United States by Biden's order, had conducted an airstrike targeting a structure belonging to what it said were groups backed by Iran.

According to Reuters, the move "appeared to be limited in scope, potentially lowering the risk of escalation". The news agency also outlined that the decision to strike only in Syria would "give the Iraqi government some breathing room as it carries out its own investigation" into recent attacks.