Militants from the Islamic State group attacked military barracks in central Syria, while Deir-ez-Zor witnessed clashes between Kurdish forces and arab tribes.
Missile attacks on US base in Syria
Iranian-backed groups launched missile attacks on a US base on the west bank of the Euphrates River in Syria, MEMO reported.
Local sources reported to Anadolu news agency yesterday that Iranian-backed groups in the city of Al-Mayadeen in the Deir Ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria, launched at least three missile attacks on the base located in the Al-Omar oil field, where American forces have been deployed, in an area controlled by the Kurdish YPG group, a US ally.
The sources said that American forces responded to the attack with surface-to-surface weapons, targeting the sites of the Iranian-backed groups about 25 kilometres away.
Syria recently witnessed attacks on bases where the US army is deployed, including the Al-Tanf area and the Al-Malikiyah district, both of which border Iraq, and in Al-Hasakah and Al-Shaddadi, with unidentified drones and surface-to-surface missiles in response to America’s unwavering support for Israel’s genocidal bombing campaign in Gaza.
Islamic State militants attack Syrian military barracks and kill 9 troops, war monitors say
The Associated Press reports that militants from the Islamic State group attacked military barracks in central Syria this week, killing nine soldiers, an opposition war monitor said. The Syrian army and officials have not confirmed the attack.
IS claimed responsibility for the attack on Monday near the town of Al-Sukhna, saying its fighters also seized weapons abandoned by fleeing soldiers and set fire to the barracks. The militants’ statement claiming responsibility was posted late on Tuesday.
The attack was the latest in intensifying clashes in the desert in eastern Syria between the militants and the Syrian army, supported by Iran-backed militias.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group, says IS has carried out 41 attacks so far this year there.
The Observatory said three Syrian troops were wounded in addition to the nine killed in Al-Sukhna.
IS militants have found refuge in the desert in remote areas in Syria and along the Iraqi-Syrian border, where they continue to stage attacks nearly five years after the group was defeated in Syria in 2019.
U.S. troops in northeastern Syria and U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have conducted numerous operations against the remaining IS militants. The United States has approximately 900 troops in Syria focused on countering the group’s remnants.
Syria’s Arab tribes, YPG s clash in Deir-ez-Zor
Turkish Daily Sabah reported that militants of the U.S.-backed YPG group take up positions in the town of Dhiban, Deir-ez-Zor province, eastern Syria, Sept. 9, 2023. (EPA Photo)
Fresh clashes took place between Arab tribes and the YPG, group, in eastern Syria’s Deir el-Zour province, local sources said Wednesday, less than a month after the last confrontation between the sides.
Early on Wednesday night, Arab tribes mounted attacks from positions in the Dhiban village on so-called checkpoints and local headquarters used by YPG.
The raids killed and injured several s, sources reported, without specifying a number.
Until early morning, YPG s patrolled the district and tried to detain youths, sources added.
The tribes and YPG have clashed sporadically since late summer last year, as recently as last month, on Jan. 7-18, across seven districts of Deir el-Zour, which is occupied by the s.
Qatar Charity’s project boosts vital pediatric services in northern Syria
Qatar Charity (QC) has launched the project ‘Enhancing Specialized Child Health Services’ in northern Syria, as part of its efforts to improve healthcare services for children. This initiative involves supporting and operating the Pediatric Department of Al-Ra’i Hospital for 12 months, aiming to provide necessary treatment and reduce the child mortality rate. More than 24,556 children are expected to benefit from the services, which will positively impact at least 122,780 individuals in the region. The project also includes support for medications and covering the operational costs of healthcare facilities.
The project will offer diverse services to support Al-Rai Hospital’s various departments, such as the Outpatient Department, Hospitalization Department, Neonatal and Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), in addition to a dedicated medical team working around the clock as well as Newborn Hearing Screening Department.
The medical staff in northern Syria considers this project to be a model for enhancing pediatric healthcare services in the region. In this context, Mr. Abdul Fattah Al-Qadi, the official of the Medical Office at the Local Council in northern Syria, stated, “Operating the services of the pediatric department of the hospital is of great significance for the services it provides for sick children, whether through its capacity, the provision of free medicines, or the expertise of the medical staff who serve more than 130 children daily.”
It’s Not Time for Our Troops to Leave the Middle East
General McKenzie, former head of U.S. Central Command, argues against withdrawing troops from Syria and Iraq. He warns that leaving would empower ISIS, embolden adversaries, and destabilize the region.
Despite recent attacks on U.S. forces, he believes we must stay the course. In Syria, continued presence helps contain ISIS and supports local forces. In Iraq, negotiations can decrease our footprint but maintain a regional foothold. He emphasizes the need to deter attacks from Iranian-backed groups.
While acknowledging the risks and casualties, McKenzie concludes that remaining engaged is ultimately safer than facing the consequences of withdrawal.
