US-led coalition repelled drone attack near Syria base

The attempted attack did not result in injuries or damage, according to a release from the Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, the global coalition to defeat what remains of the ISIS caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

The US-led coalition forces repelled all but one of the drones that attacked the area around At-Tanf base. One drone detonated within a compound manned by Maghaweir al-Thowra partner forces, resulting in zero casualties or reported damage, said the release.

Col. Joe Buccino, the director of public affairs for the United States Central Command, said in the release that they have confidence in their ability to protect our troops and coalition partners from attacks from the air. The release said that coalition forces successfully engaged one drone preventing its impact. The release said that other drones that attempted to strike were not successful.

The drone attacks were not announced by Operation Inherent Resolve. Iranian backed militias in the region have targeted US troops in Syria and Iraq. Maj. Gen. John Brennan, commander of the Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, said that the attack undermines the efforts of our partner forces to maintain the lasting defeat of ISIS. Such attacks put the lives of innocent Syrian civilians at risk and undermine the efforts of our Partner Forces to maintain the lasting defeat of ISIS, Brennan said. Coalition personnel retain the right to self-defense, and we will take appropriate measures to protect our forces. The US maintains approximately 900 troops in Syria, which is split between the At-Tanf base and the eastern oil fields. The base is located within a 20-square-mile deconfliction zone near the Syrian border with Jordan, which was established by Russia and the US-led coalition to prevent the two sides from coming into accidental contact. The area has seen heavy fighting between US forces and ISIS in recent years. In January, the US military conducted strikes in Syria after indirect fire posed an imminent threat to troops near Green Village, a base in the east of the country near the Iraqi border. There was no specific attribution for the indirect fire but then-Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the US continues to see threats against US forces in the region from Iranian-backed militias. In just the last few days, there have been acts perpetrated by some of these groups that have validated the concerns that we have had over the safety and security of our people, Kirby said at a news conference in January.