After Iran-backed militia attacked U.S. personnel in Syria last week, the White House stated Monday that the U.S. would not withdraw from its almost eight-year-old commitment to fight Islamic State remnants.
On March 23, a one-way attack drone hit a U.S. facility in Syria, killing an American contractor and injuring five service members.
It prompted U.S. air strikes and exchanges of fire that killed three Syrian army, 11 pro-government militia members, and five government-aligned non-Syrian fighters, according to a Syrian war monitoring organization.
“We’re going to keep watchful,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
Kirby also mentioned President Joseph Biden’s Friday warning to Iran that the U.S. will defend Americans.
Kirby stated, “There’s been no change in the U.S. presence in Syria due to what transpired the previous few days.” Therefore, the operation against Islamic State would continue.
“These extremist strikes won’t dissuade us.”
On Sunday, Syria’s foreign ministry denounced U.S. attacks, accusing Washington of lying about targets and vowing to “end the American occupation” of its land.
Iran’s foreign ministry criticized the attacks, saying U.S. soldiers targeted “civilian locations.”
During the Obama administration’s fight against Islamic State, U.S. soldiers entered Syria with the Syrian Democratic Forces. 900 U.S. forces are in Syria, mostly in the east.
The U.S. military reported 78 strikes on Syrian soldiers by Iranian-backed organizations since 2021.
Iran has supported Bashar al-Assad throughout Syria’s 12-year war.
Hezbollah and pro-Tehran Iraqi militias rule eastern, southern, and northern Syria and Damascus suburbs.
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