US military base in Syria under missile and drone attack with casualty fears

21 April 2024 , 20:36

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Explosions were heard in the vicinity of the American military base in Al-Omar field (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

At least five rockets have been launched from Iraq towards a US Base in Syria, with explosions heard in the area and fears of casualties.

Sources in the area have described how explosions were heard in the vicinity of the American military base in Al-Omar field, which is east of Deir Ezzor. It comes after tension last week between Iran and Israel which saw the former send a "retaliation" attack of drones and missiles late at night.

Sama TV journalist Mohammed Dabaa took to X, formerly Twitter, to say: "Local sources confirm that there were direct casualties in the vehicle hangars within the American occupation base in Kharab al-Jir, after they were targeted by 5 projectiles, including missiles and a drone, amid an American security alert in the base and its surroundings."

It's also believed a second missile attack has occurred in Deir Ez-Sor, with the Syrian Democratic Forces, near the Al-Omar oil field in Khadra, East Deir Ez-Zor, being the main target.

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Footage has been circulated on Telegram of the attack targeting the Kharab al-Jir base in the Hasakah countryside from the Iraqi territory. It is the first attack against US forces since February when troops were being attacked by Iranian-backed groups in Iraq.

It comes on the day Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani returned from the United States where he met President Joe Biden at the White House, the Sun reports. Security sources evaluating the situation have detailed how a rocket launched was found on the back of a small truck and parked up in Zummar, a town which borders Syria.

The military official said the truck caught fire with an explosion from unfired rockets at the same time missiles and drones were sent into the sky. Following this an Iraqi Security Media Cell confirmed a car where "several missiles were launched from" had been found.

An attack comes days after a military base in Iraq, which was holding a pro-Iranian militia, was damaged in an explosion and killed one person and wounded eight others. Iraq's military reported no drones or fighter jets in the area before or during the blast.

However, the militia organization involved, the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), was blamed for the attack which came after heightened tensions between Israel and Iran. The PMF is an umbrella organization that contains several militias which are part of the network of proxies that Tehran has been able to use to advance its interests across the Middle East for years.

Sean McPolin