Green Berets and their partner force, the Maghaweir al-Thowra (MaT), during a joint patrol mission near At-Tanf Garrison, Syria, April 29, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. William Howard)
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria was attacked with drones on January 20.
In a statement, the command said that three “one-way” drones attacked al-Tanf in the early morning hours. Two of the drones were shot down by U.S.-led coalition forces, while the third managed to hit a compound within the garrison. The attack injured two fighters of the Army of Free Syria, the coalition main proxy group in al-Tanf. However, no U.S. troops were harmed.
“Attacks of this kind are unacceptable – they place our troops and our partners at risk and jeopardize the fight against ISIS,” said Joe Buccino CENTCOM spokesperson.
Around 200 U.S. troops are usually deployed at al-Tanf. The coalition maintains a 55-kilometers around the garrison, which was established more than six years ago.
The drone attack on al-Tanf was first reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The London-based monitoring group speculated that the attack was carried out by forces affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria or Iraq.
Last year, Iranian-backed forces were blamed for two attacks which targeted the garrison on October 20 and August 15. Both attacks were reportedly carried out in response to Israeli strikes on Syria.
It is still unclear if the U.S. is planning to respond to the new drone attack on al-Tanf garrison. Washington is yet to make any official accusations.
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