On Saturday, October 12, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that its forces launched airstrikes against camps belonging to the Islamic State organization in Syria, amid discussions about targeting Iranian interests.
CENTCOM mentioned that the airstrikes would disrupt the Islamic State’s ability to plan, organize, and carry out attacks against the United States and its allies, partners, and civilians in the region and beyond.
Additionally, US Central Command reported that it is currently assessing the impact of these strikes, and there are no indications of civilian casualties, without releasing details about losses among the organization.
In a related development, a reporter for Enab Baladi in Deir Ezzor stated that the coalition targeted a military vehicle belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) today with a drone in the town of Muhkan in eastern Deir Ezzor, resulting in the deaths of two members and injuring others.
On another note, coalition forces stationed at the Conoco base east of Deir Ezzor targeted a river crossing used by Iranian militias on Friday, October 11, according to the local al-Khabour news network.
Al-Khabour added that the crossing near Deir Ezzor military airport is used by Iranian militias to transport personnel and military equipment between a branch of the Euphrates River, connecting the towns of Huwaija Sakr and al-Jafra in eastern Deir Ezzor.
The US Department of Defense stated that the United States is still committed to defending itself against attacks launched against its military bases in Syria and Iraq, without providing details about the new attacks that recently struck these bases.
Deputy Press Secretary for the Pentagon, Sabrina Singh, mentioned on October 8 that Iran-backed militias in Syria and Iraq continue to launch attacks against US forces or attempt to attack Israel since the escalation in the Middle East began.
The threat from Iranian-backed militias against US interests is currently the most prominent in Syria, coinciding with the expansion of the Israeli war from Gaza to Lebanon.
While Tehran supports the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and many militias in Syria and Iraq, Washington asserts Israel’s right to “defend itself.”
The activity of the Islamic State organization has diminished in eastern Syria over the past months, after increasing significantly during the first five months of the current year.
Cells of the Islamic State are active in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), carrying out near-daily attacks through swift strikes, ambushes, and explosive devices against military positions and SDF personnel in the region, as well as civilians accused of affiliation with the latter.
For months, the Syrian Democratic Forces, supported by the coalition, have been conducting security operations in areas under their control, targeting the organization’s cells, resulting in the arrest and killing of several of them, according to consecutive announcements made over intermittent periods.