Kurdish fighters killed in attack on Syrian base housing U.S. troops

By Bassem Mroue and Kareem Chehayeb The Associated Press

10 months ago

This photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024 shows a RAF Typhoon FGR4 aircraft returning to the base, following strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The U.S. and Britain struck 36 Houthi sites in Yemen in a second wave of assaults meant to further disable Iran-backed groups that have relentlessly attacked American and international interests in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. In addition to the strikes on Saturday, U.S. Central Command says it conducted an additional “self-defense” strike on Sunday against a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile. (AS1 Leah Jones/RAF via AP)

This photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on Sunday. Feb. 4, 2024 shows a RAF Typhoon FGR4 aircraft returning to the base in Cyprus, following strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The U.S. and Britain struck 36 Houthi sites in Yemen in a second wave of assaults meant to further disable Iran-backed groups that have relentlessly attacked American and international interests in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. In addition to the strikes on Saturday, U.S. Central Command says it conducted an additional “self-defense” strike on Sunday against a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile. (CAS1 Jake Green/RAF via AP)

This photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024 shows a RAF Typhoon FGR4 aircraft returning to the base following strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The U.S. and Britain struck 36 Houthi sites in Yemen in a second wave of assaults meant to further disable Iran-backed groups that have relentlessly attacked American and international interests in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. In addition to the strikes on Saturday, U.S. Central Command says it conducted an additional “self-defense” strike on Sunday against a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile. (AS1 Jake Green/RAF via AP)

BEIRUT — A drone attack on a base housing U.S. troops in eastern Syria killed six allied Kurdish fighters late Sunday, in the first significant attack in Syria or Iraq since the United States launched retaliatory strikes over the weekend against Iran-backed militias that have been targeting its forces in the region.

The U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Monday the attack hit a training ground at al-Omar base in Syria’s eastern province of Deir el-Zour, where the forces’ commando units are trained. No casualties were reported among U.S. troops.

An umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias, dubbed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, released a video claiming responsibility for the attack and showing them launching a drone from an unspecified location.

In late January, a drone attack by the same group killed three U.S. troops and wounded dozens more at a desert base in Jordan. The U.S. military launched dozens of retaliatory strikes targeting Iran-backed terrorist groups in western Iraq and eastern Syria and also struck Houthis terrorists in Yemen.

The SDF initially accused “Syrian regime-backed mercenaries” of carrying out Sunday’s attack but in a second statement blamed “Iran-backed militias” after investigating the attack.

The umbrella group has launched dozens of drone attacks on U.S. military bases and troops in Iraq and Syria, and has called for the withdrawal of American soldiers from both countries.

Meanwhile, Britain-based opposition war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least seven SDF fighters were killed in the attack on Sunday.

Also, the U.S. military said it struck four anti-ship missiles on Sunday that were prepared to be fired at vessels in the Red Sea from Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen.