Iran-Backed Militants Claim Rocket Attacks On US Base In Syria

An American soldier sits on a military vehicle, at al-Omar oil field in Deir Al Zor, Syria March 23, 2019.
An American soldier sits on a military vehicle, at al-Omar oil field in Deir Al Zor, Syria March 23, 2019.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group representing several Iran-backed factions, has claimed responsibility for launching two rocket attacks on US forces in Syria on Monday.

The attack on the Conoco Base in Deir Ezzor marks the 164th attack on US facilities and personnel in Syria and Iraq in the past 96 days, escalating since October 7 when Iran-backed Hamas invaded Israel. Iran's proxies have since launched attacks on the US in response to the country's support of Israel's right to defend itself in the face of the Hamas attacks which killed 1,200 mostly civilians and saw over 250 more taken hostage to Gaza.

“In adherence to our continuous resistance policy against American forces in Iraq and the region, and in response to the Zionist regime's actions against the people of Gaza, our fighters launched multiple rockets at the American base in the Conoco oil field in eastern Deir Ezzor," the group said.

Currently, the United States has several hundred troops stationed in northern and eastern Syria, primarily engaged in the international coalition against ISIS.

The coalition bases in the region have faced intermittent attacks over recent years but not to the extent seen since October 7. While the Iranian government has consistently denied any direct involvement in the attacks by Hamas, Tehran claims that the proxies operate independently, in spite of the fact the militias are the brainchild of Iran's supreme leader as a weapon against both Israel and the West.