Barely a week after they eliminated "a hostile target" in the region, United States Central Command, commonly referred to as Centcom, engaged and destroyed several weapon systems, including three truck-mounted multiple rocket launchers, a T-64 tank, and multiple mortars, that posed a threat to the US and coalition forces in Syria.
The move has been described as a “self-defense strike.”
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said these weapons systems presented a "clear and imminent threat" to US and coalition forces in the vicinity of eastern Syria's Mission Support Site Euphrates.
"The self-defense strike occurred after the mobile multiple rocket launchers fired rockets that landed in the vicinity of MSS Euphrates, and mortars were fired toward US forces," he said.
Ryder said the department of defence is still assessing who was operating the weapons.
On November 29, Centcom employed A-10 fighter aircraft to eliminate a hostile target that reportedly posed a threat to the US and coalition forces at MSS Euphrates.
"Individuals were observed preparing a rocket rail. These self-defense actions likewise eliminated threats to our personnel at MSS Euphrates," Ryder said.
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He clarified that these actions do not mean that Centcom is working with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as part of the greater civil war going on throughout the region but are primarily focused on protecting their own personnel.
"To be clear, these self-defense actions successfully eliminated imminent threats to US personnel and were not linked to any broader activities in northwest Syria by other groups. Our focus is on protecting our forces and also preserving our efforts to conduct counter-ISIS operations in partnership with the SDF," Ryder said.