U.S. troops come under fire in Syria day after airstrikes targeted militias

(Image credit: Staff/AFP via Getty Images)

published 28 June 2021

Several rockets were fired at U.S. forces in eastern Syria on Monday, one day after American airstrikes targeted facilities used by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.

Col. Wayne Marotto, a spokesman for the U.S.-led mission in Syria, tweeted that "multiple rockets" targeted U.S. forces near the al-Omar oil field, and there have been no reports of any injuries. In a follow-up tweet, Marotto said while "under multiple rocket attack," U.S. forces "acted in self-defense and conducted counter-battery artillery fire at rocket launching positions." No one has claimed responsibility yet for the attack.

There are roughly 900 U.S. troops in the area, serving as protection and support to Syrian fighters who are fighting the remnants of the Islamic State. On Sunday, the U.S. carried out airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iranian-backed militias believed to be responsible for several drone attacks against American troops in the region. U.S. officials said these drones are able to escape U.S. surveillance and defenses, CNN reports.