White House: US Strike on Weapons Facility in Syria a ‘Deterrent’

White House spokesman John Kirby. Reuters
White House spokesman John Kirby. Reuters
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White House: US Strike on Weapons Facility in Syria a ‘Deterrent’

White House spokesman John Kirby. Reuters
White House spokesman John Kirby. Reuters

The US military strikes in Syria are aimed at destroying weaponry and deterring Iranian-backed groups from targeting American personnel in the region in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the White House said on Thursday.

The United States carried out strikes on Wednesday against a weapon storage facility in eastern Syria that the Pentagon said was used by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups.

"We know that it had a practical impact on their ability to arm these groups, but also to send a strong signal of deterrence," White House spokesman John Kirby said on CNN.

"These groups have a choice to make: If they want to continue to attack our troops in Iraq and Syria, then they're gonna have to face the consequences for that."

US and coalition troops have been attacked at least 40 times in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed forces since the start of October, as tensions soar over Israel's bombardment of Gaza in retaliation for Hamas militants' Oct. 7 attack. Forty-five US troops have suffered traumatic brain injuries or minor wounds, Reuters reported.



Palestinian Killed by Israeli Forces in The West Bank

Israeli soldiers use weapons amid clashes with Palestinians in the West Bank. Reuters file photo
Israeli soldiers use weapons amid clashes with Palestinians in the West Bank. Reuters file photo
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Palestinian Killed by Israeli Forces in The West Bank

Israeli soldiers use weapons amid clashes with Palestinians in the West Bank. Reuters file photo
Israeli soldiers use weapons amid clashes with Palestinians in the West Bank. Reuters file photo

A Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces during a raid in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, the Palestinian Fatah party said in a statement.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters said.
Palestinian media said Israeli forces opened fire on the home of a 37-year-old man in a town south of the West Bank city of Jenin. The body was being held by Israel, the report said.
Jenin, in the northern West Bank, has been a center for Palestinian groups for decades and armed factions have resisted repeated attempts to dislodge them by the Israeli military.
Palestinian security forces moved into Jenin last month in a move they say is aimed at suppressing armed groups of "outlaws" who have built up a power base in the city and its adjacent refugee camp.
Hundreds of Palestinians and dozens of Israelis have been killed in the West Bank since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel triggered the war in Gaza and a wider conflict on several fronts.