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| US-backed Kurdish fighters killed in drone strike on US base in Syria | US-backed Kurdish fighters killed in drone strike on US base in Syria |
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| Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iranian-backed militia, claims attack after at least six fighters killed | |
| At least six US-backed Kurdish fighters have been killed in a drone strike on a US base in eastern Syria claimed by Iranian-backed militia that on Friday was the target of US airstrikes. | At least six US-backed Kurdish fighters have been killed in a drone strike on a US base in eastern Syria claimed by Iranian-backed militia that on Friday was the target of US airstrikes. |
| The deaths are the latest indicator of how conflict is seeping across the Middle East since the beginning of the war in Gaza, with ever less predictable consequences for regional stability. | The deaths are the latest indicator of how conflict is seeping across the Middle East since the beginning of the war in Gaza, with ever less predictable consequences for regional stability. |
| The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which have fought Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria, said six of their fighters were killed in an attack on their commando academy at a US base at al-Omar oilfield in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province. | The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which have fought Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria, said six of their fighters were killed in an attack on their commando academy at a US base at al-Omar oilfield in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province. |
| A further 18 were wounded. A UK-based monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, put the death toll at seven. | A further 18 were wounded. A UK-based monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, put the death toll at seven. |
| The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), among the subjects of a US-led attack last week in reprisal for its killing of three US soldiers in a drone strike on a US base in Jordan, said it was responsible. The group is a loose alliance of pro-Iran fighters opposed to US presence in Syria and Iraq. | The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), among the subjects of a US-led attack last week in reprisal for its killing of three US soldiers in a drone strike on a US base in Jordan, said it was responsible. The group is a loose alliance of pro-Iran fighters opposed to US presence in Syria and Iraq. |
| Al-Omar is the largest base in Syria of a US-led coalition including the SDF that was set up in 2014 to beat back IS after the Sunni jihadists captured swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria. | Al-Omar is the largest base in Syria of a US-led coalition including the SDF that was set up in 2014 to beat back IS after the Sunni jihadists captured swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria. |
| Operating under the banner of Operation Inherent Resolve, about 2,500 US troops are still deployed in Iraq and about 900 in Syria, where Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, still does not control large tracts of the country since the civil war that began in 2011. | Operating under the banner of Operation Inherent Resolve, about 2,500 US troops are still deployed in Iraq and about 900 in Syria, where Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, still does not control large tracts of the country since the civil war that began in 2011. |
| The Syrian Defence Forces are the de facto army of the Kurdish administration that control an area of Syria’s north-east they call Rojava. | The Syrian Defence Forces are the de facto army of the Kurdish administration that control an area of Syria’s north-east they call Rojava. |
| They said in a statement: “Six of our fighters were martyred during a terrorist attack by a suicide plane originating from areas controlled by Syrian regime mercenaries, targeting a training academy in the al-Omar field east of Deir ez-Zor.” | They said in a statement: “Six of our fighters were martyred during a terrorist attack by a suicide plane originating from areas controlled by Syrian regime mercenaries, targeting a training academy in the al-Omar field east of Deir ez-Zor.” |
| The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said at the weekend the attacks on Iranian-backed militia including the IRI and and Tehran’s Revolutionary Guard represented the launch of a multi-layered assault designed to weaken their ability to hit US service personnel after the 27 January attack on the Jordan base. | The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said at the weekend the attacks on Iranian-backed militia including the IRI and and Tehran’s Revolutionary Guard represented the launch of a multi-layered assault designed to weaken their ability to hit US service personnel after the 27 January attack on the Jordan base. |
| Friday’s strikes hit more than 85 targets, though damage was likely to have been reduced by the near week-long warning that US strikes were imminent. | Friday’s strikes hit more than 85 targets, though damage was likely to have been reduced by the near week-long warning that US strikes were imminent. |
| Retired colonel Joe Buccino, a former US military spokesperson, said at the weekend he believed the US attacks were unlikely to be effective. “These Shia groups that we hit in Iraq and Syria – they will be able to replenish the rockets and the drones and the structures that we hit in the next several weeks, so this will really accomplish nothing. | Retired colonel Joe Buccino, a former US military spokesperson, said at the weekend he believed the US attacks were unlikely to be effective. “These Shia groups that we hit in Iraq and Syria – they will be able to replenish the rockets and the drones and the structures that we hit in the next several weeks, so this will really accomplish nothing. |
| “The Biden administration, President Biden, is very risk-averse, and feels like if we take a real strike, if we make Iran feel some real pain, this will go into a wider war.” | “The Biden administration, President Biden, is very risk-averse, and feels like if we take a real strike, if we make Iran feel some real pain, this will go into a wider war.” |
| He claimed the political effect of the strikes was likely to increase the demands inside Iraq for the US troops to leave. | He claimed the political effect of the strikes was likely to increase the demands inside Iraq for the US troops to leave. |
| Separately, Iraqi militia leader Naji al-Kaabi, better known by the nom de guerre Abu Ali al-Kaabi, was fatally shot on Sunday by unidentified assailants in the south-east province of Maysan. Two gunmen opened fire on the high-ranking Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq militia member as he was driving in a car. | Separately, Iraqi militia leader Naji al-Kaabi, better known by the nom de guerre Abu Ali al-Kaabi, was fatally shot on Sunday by unidentified assailants in the south-east province of Maysan. Two gunmen opened fire on the high-ranking Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq militia member as he was driving in a car. |
| The Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, said at his weekly press conference on Monday that Iran was not seeking an escalation. He said the US “attacking other countries is a violation of the national sovereignty of Syria, Iraq and Yemen and is a clumsy attempt to divert the public mind from the focal point of the Palestinian crisis to other directions.” | The Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, said at his weekly press conference on Monday that Iran was not seeking an escalation. He said the US “attacking other countries is a violation of the national sovereignty of Syria, Iraq and Yemen and is a clumsy attempt to divert the public mind from the focal point of the Palestinian crisis to other directions.” |
| He added: “The actions of the US and England [the UK], especially recently, show that they do not have a correct understanding of the region and the solution, and instead of paying attention to the centre of the crisis, they pay attention to the margins.” | He added: “The actions of the US and England [the UK], especially recently, show that they do not have a correct understanding of the region and the solution, and instead of paying attention to the centre of the crisis, they pay attention to the margins.” |
| US forces on Sunday said they had destroyed four anti-ship cruise missiles being prepared to be launched by Houthi fighters. Hussein al-Ezzi, the deputy foreign minister for the Houthi administration based in Sana’a, claimed the Houthis were not firing at commercial shipping in general, but only Israeli ships or US naval forces protecting Israeli shipping. | US forces on Sunday said they had destroyed four anti-ship cruise missiles being prepared to be launched by Houthi fighters. Hussein al-Ezzi, the deputy foreign minister for the Houthi administration based in Sana’a, claimed the Houthis were not firing at commercial shipping in general, but only Israeli ships or US naval forces protecting Israeli shipping. |
| The Houthis also said Italy would become a target if it took part in attacks against Yemen after Italy said on Friday it would provide the admiral in command of a EU Red Sea naval mission it had joined to protect ships from attacks by the militia. | |
| The mandate of the mission, to be launched in mid-February, will be to protect commercial ships and intercept attacks, but not take part in strikes against the Houthis, according to the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell. |