73 Attacks Targeted U.S. Forces In Iraq, Syria In Recent Weeks

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United States forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked 73 times since October 17, Fox News reported on November 23, citing a Pentagon source.

The attacks begin in response to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. The U.S. has been providing unconditional support of the war.

The last four attacks were carried out on November 23, when the United States was celebrating Thanksgiving Day. Two of them targeted the US bases in Syria, and two more the bases in Iraq. There have been 37 attacks on US troops in Syria and 36 more in Iraq.

The U.S. maintains some 2,500 troops in Iraq, allegedly to train and advise government forces. More than 900 others are deployed in Syria under the pretext of fighting ISIS.

While the Pentagon has reported 73 attacks since October 17, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said that there have been 90 attacks on U.S. forces in both Iraq and Syria with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), a coalition of Iranian-backed armed factions, claiming responsibility for most of the attacks.

Unguided rockets, suicide drones and even short-rang ballistic missiles were used in the attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.

The IRI formed a special operations room to support Gaza and began launching attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and neighboring Syria following the October 17 Al-Ahli Arab Hospital massacre. The U.S. responded with strikes on more than one occasion. The last wave of strikes killed nine Iraqi fighters. However, the IRI was not deterred.

Attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria came to a halt on November 24 as a temporary ceasefire in Gaza agreed upon by Israel and the Hamas Movement entered into effect. The IRI was not a party in the agreement. However, it likely paused its operations to facilitate the ceasefire. The IRI will likely resume attacks if the ceasefire is not extended.

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