Syrian rescue teams inspect the damage at the site of an alleged US-led coalition drone strike in the city of Al-Bab, on the border with T rkiye, in Syria's northern Aleppo province, on December 20, 2022. The Pentagon said that the US military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria on Thursday night against groups that it blamed for a deadly drone attack that killed an American contractor, wounded five U.S. troops and killed another. PHOTO AFP DAMASCUS - The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the recent US airstrikes on the eastern province of Deir al-Zour and urged other countries to join the condemnation.
The ministry said in a statement that the US attacks were based on lies and that the Syrian army's determination to restore all Syrian areas and end the US occupation of Syrian territories was stressed by the Syrian army's determination to end the US occupation of Syrian territories.
The statement followed a exchange of fire between the US forces and pro-Syrian government, Iranian-backed militias since midnight Friday.
An American contractor and 11 pro-Iran fighters were killed in the exchange of fire, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor.
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It said that the Iranian militias launched several drone attacks and shelling on US bases in the Al Qaeda field in Deir al-Zour, adding that the US responded with shelling on several military strongholds of the Iranian militias in the same province.
On Saturday, a spokesman for Iran's Supreme National Security Council Keyvan Khosravi said Iran will give immediate and reciprocal response to any attack on bases established for fighting terrorism in Syria and at the request of the country's government.
He stated that the US side has tried to blame games to escape the possible consequences of its illegal occupation of parts of the Syrian territory for its military forces by using false accusations.
Khosravi noted that Washington cannot attribute the occupied countries' confrontations with the American forces to other countries by spreading lies. READ MORE: Syrian govt condemns US general's 'illegitimate' visit to Syria.
He stressed that Iran has borne heavy costs to fight terrorism and maintain lasting security in Syria and that Tehran would oppose and confront any move that jeopardizes Syria's stability.
Iran is present in the country at the request of Damascus and has an advisory role in Syria.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden said that the United States would act forcefully to protect its people.