Blast at US Outpost in Syria, No American Injuries

Syrian forces backed by the US and an American soldier are seen in Tanf. AP file photo
Syrian forces backed by the US and an American soldier are seen in Tanf. AP file photo
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Blast at US Outpost in Syria, No American Injuries

Syrian forces backed by the US and an American soldier are seen in Tanf. AP file photo
Syrian forces backed by the US and an American soldier are seen in Tanf. AP file photo

A US outpost in southern Syria was attacked on Wednesday, but there were no reports of any American casualties from the blast, US officials told Reuters.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it was too early to say who was responsible for the attack.

One of the officials said it was believed to have been a drone attack.

The garrison, known as Tanf, is located in a strategic area near Syria's Tanf border crossing with Iraq and Jordan.

The garrison was first set up when ISIS militants controlled eastern Syria bordering Iraq but since the extremists were driven out, it is seen as part of the larger US strategy to contain Iran's military reach in the region.

Tanf is the only position with a significant US military presence in Syria outside the Kurdish-controlled north.

While it is not common for attacks on the US troops at the outpost, Iranian-backed forces have frequently attacked American troops with drones and rockets in eastern Syria and Iraq.



Australia Urges Israel Not to Take Military Control of Gaza

Palestinians watch aid pallets parachute down after being dropped from a military plane over Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip during an airdrop mission above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 5, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
Palestinians watch aid pallets parachute down after being dropped from a military plane over Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip during an airdrop mission above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 5, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
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Australia Urges Israel Not to Take Military Control of Gaza

Palestinians watch aid pallets parachute down after being dropped from a military plane over Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip during an airdrop mission above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 5, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
Palestinians watch aid pallets parachute down after being dropped from a military plane over Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip during an airdrop mission above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 5, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)

Australia has urged Israel "not to go down this path", after Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel intended to take military control of Gaza.

"Australia calls on Israel to not go down this path, which will only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Friday.

Wong said permanent forced displacement was a violation of international law and repeated calls for a ceasefire, aid to flow unimpeded and for Palestinian group Hamas to return the hostages taken in October 2023.

“A two-state solution is the only pathway to secure an enduring peace – a Palestinian state and the State of Israel, living side-by-side in peace and security within internationally-recognized borders,” she added.

Australia has not yet joined Western allies such as the UK, Canada and France in announcing it would recognize Palestinian statehood but has said it would make a decision "at an appropriate time", while escalating its criticism of Israel's actions.

Wong's comments come in response to Netanyahu saying Israel intended to take military control of all of Gaza during an interview with Fox News.

He said Israel wanted to hand over the territory to Arab forces that would govern it, without elaborating on the governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved.

After a security cabinet meeting on Friday, Netanyahu's office confirmed a plan to take over Gaza City had been approved.

A statement said the Israeli army would prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.