Pentagon announces strikes on Iraq-Syria border 'at Biden's direction'

The US executed a number of strikes on targeted facilities "utilized by Iran-backed militias" that were allegedly used to launch drone attacks against American personnel, the Department of Defense announced on Sunday.

"At President Biden's direction, US military forces earlier this evening conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a statement.

"The targets were selected because these facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against US personnel and facilities in Iraq."

Kirby insisted that the US "took necessary, appropriate, and deliberate action designed to limit the risk of escalation" after noting that the American military is in Iraq "at the invitation of the government of Iraq for the sole purpose of assisting the Iraqi Security Forces in their efforts to defeat ISIS."

A reporter for RT Arabic confirmed hearing the explosions coming from the Iraqi-Syrian border and cited an Iraqi security source who said that the blasts took place on Syrian territory, in the vicinity of civilian houses. 

The Pentagon's statement did not mention which country's territory suffered the impact of the strikes. Unlike in Iraq, the US military has not received any invitation from the Syrian government. On the contrary, Damascus has demanded that American troops leave its territory, calling their presence in the country illegal.

So far, the Pentagon has not informed the public of any casualties from its latest strikes. Meanwhile, Syrian news agency SANA has reported that a child was killed in the incident, with three more civilians injured. 

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