Washington: Missiles are flying. Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, U.S. forces stationed in the region are confronted with growing dangers. On Thursday, a Navy warship intercepted missiles destined for Israel, and American bases in Iraq and Syria were subjected to repeated drone assaults.
A U.S. official later reported that coalition and U.S. forces stationed at a diplomatic support center near Baghdad International Airport were the targets of a rocket attack early Friday morning. The official stated that preliminary evaluations suggested the launch of two rockets, one intercepted by a counter-rocket system and the other colliding with an unoccupied storage facility.
No casualties were reported, according to the official, who spoke anonymously to discuss details not yet made public.
Previously, in the northern Red Sea, the Navy destroyer USS Carney intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and multiple drones launched by Houthi forces in Yemen. The maneuver that Carney carried out might have been the first military operation by the United States in support of Israel during this conflict.
The Pentagon’s press secretary, Brigadier Pat Ryder, informed reporters that the missiles were “potentially” aimed at Israel but that the United States has not yet assessed their intended target.
The U.S. official stated they do not believe the waterborne missiles fired down were intended for the U.S. warship. The official disclosed information regarding unannounced military operations while requesting anonymity.
US Military Shoots Down Missiles And Drones As It Faces Growing Threats In Volatile Middle East.
However, numerous other drone assaults have targeted American bases over the past three days, including one that occurred in southern Syria on Thursday and resulted in only minor injuries.
The unrest ensues after a catastrophic detonation at a hospital in Gaza, inciting demonstrations across several Muslim-majority countries. In retaliation for the devastating Hamas rampage in southern Israel nearly two weeks ago, the Israeli military has launched unremitting attacks against Gaza. However, Israel has denied responsibility for the al-Ahli hospital bombing, and the United States stated that its intelligence assessment did not find Tel Aviv at fault.
However, several regional militant organisations, including Hezbollah and the Houthis, have recently threatened Israel and expressed support for the Palestinians. Militants have targeted U.S. military installations in Iraq and Syria, where American personnel train local defense forces and support the mission to counter the Islamic State, with at least four drone attacks occurring since Tuesday.
The attacks fuel growing worries in the West and the United States that the conflict in Israel might worsen into a more significant regional dispute.
Ryder stated, “That is precisely what we are attempting to prevent.”
The most recent drone assault occurred at al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq on Thursday. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued a statement claiming accountability for the assault, claiming they “exactly struck their targets” with a salvo of missiles directed at the base. A U.S. official verified the most recent assault but stated it was premature to determine its consequences.
Drones also targeted the al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria on Thursday. For a number of years, United States soldiers have maintained a presence at the base in order to monitor Islamic State militant activity and provide training to Syrian allies.
According to the Pentagon, one drone was taken down, while another struck the base and caused minor injuries.
The garrison is close to a strategic road that Iranian-backed militants frequently use to transport weapons to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and to Israel’s doorstep.
Syrian opposition activists also reported that an oil facility housing American personnel in eastern Syria was the target of a separate drone attack. Omar Abu Layla, the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet leader and an activist based in Europe, reported that three explosive-laden drones struck the Conoco gas field in the Iraqi-bordering eastern province of Deir el-Zour. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor located in Britain, also confirmed the presence of explosions.
No casualties were reported, according to the official, who spoke anonymously to discuss details not yet made public.
Militants deployed three drones on Tuesday in opposition to two Iraqi bases utilized by the United States for military training and operations against the Islamic State. Amidst the series of launches, an al-Asad warning proved erroneous; nevertheless, it prompted personnel to hasten to their shelters. Ryder stated that a contractor perished of a cardiac arrest during that incident.
He stated that the Pentagon has not yet received confirmation regarding the perpetrator of the drone strikes but that the United States “will take every action necessary to defend coalition and U.S. forces against any threat.” Any military response, he stated, would occur “at a time and in a manner of our choosing.”
Due to American support for Israel, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have sometimes served as foot soldiers in regional conflicts, including those in Syria and Yemen, and have recently threatened to attack U.S. facilities in Iraq and elsewhere.
The head of the Kataib Hezbollah militia, Ahmad “Abu Hussein” al-Hamidawi, said in a statement last Wednesday, “Our missiles, drones, and special forces are prepared to launch qualitative strikes against American bases and disrupt their interests if they intervene in this conflict.” Additionally, he issued a threat to fire missiles at Israeli targets.
After the explosion at the Gaza hospital, the group issued a second statement demanding an end to the United States’ presence in Iraq and placing the responsibility for the catastrophe on the United States and its support for Israel.
“These evildoers are required to leave the country.” “If not, they shall experience the fiery wrath of hell on earth prior to entering the afterlife,” the statement continued.
As reported by the Carney intercepts, Ryder stated that the Houthi missiles “posed a potential threat” due to their flight profile, and thus the strikes were conducted. Furthermore, he stated that the United States is ready to take any necessary measures “to safeguard our allies and our own interests in this critical region.” He stated that while the United States is still determining the nature of the target, neither American forces nor civilians on the ground were injured.
The Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, have conveyed their solidarity with the Palestinians and issued threats against Israel. Last week, supporters adorned the streets of Sanaa, Yemen, which is currently under the control of Houthi rebels engaged in combat with a Saudi-led coalition. “God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse of the Jews; victory to Islam” has been the revolutionaries’ enduring slogan.
The leader of the rebel organization, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, cautioned the United States last week against interfering in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, threatening retaliatory drone and missile strikes by his forces.
Two Houthi officials declined to remark on the incident when contacted on Thursday. One responded that he was not informed of the incident, and the other stated that he lacked the authority to comment on it.
SOURCE – (AP)
