US conducts airstrikes on weapons facility in Syria

Updated: Nov 8, 2023 / 06:02 PM CST

FILE – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg talks to US army soldiers while visiting Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015. On Wednesday April 26, 2023, the Czech government agreed to sign a defense military treaty with the United States. The treaty will set a legal framework for possible deployment of U.S. troops on Czech territory and their cooperation with the Czech armed forces. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)

(NewsNation) — U.S. Military forces conducted a self-defense strike on a weapons storage facility in Eastern Syria Wednesday, officials announced.

The facility is used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.

“This precision self-defense strike is a response to a series of attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by IRGC-Quds Force affiliates,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

U.S. troops are facing escalating attacks at bases across the Middle East. The Pentagon reports 46 troops have been injured in drone attacks in the one month since the Israel-Hamas war broke out.

“The United States is fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities. We urge against any escalation. U.S. personnel will continue to conduct counter-ISIS missions in Iraq and Syria,” the statement added.