Four US Troops Injured in 'Iranian' Rocket Attack in Syria

The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, US, March 3, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, US, March 3, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
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Four US Troops Injured in 'Iranian' Rocket Attack in Syria

The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, US, March 3, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, US, March 3, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

Four US troops were injured Thursday after rockets were fired at a base housing American forces in eastern Syria, US Central Command said.

The rockets struck two support buildings at the Green Village base in Deir Ezzor province run by allied Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, where the US and coalition partners maintain a mission against the remnants of ISIS.

"At this time, four US servicemembers are being evaluated for minor injuries and possible traumatic brain injuries," the Central Command said in a statement.

The command, which oversees US operations across the Middle East, did not attribute the source of the shelling but said it was under investigation.

A tribal source in the area said several rockets were fired by an Iran-backed militia, and two landed in the area of al Omar oil field where US forces are based in Deir Ezzor province, near the Iraqi border.

The rockets were launched from an area west of the Euphrates River, where Iran-backed militias have a presence, the source said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rockets had been fired after midnight at the base from an area where Iran-backed militias exercise influence.

In January the base was also shelled in an attack blamed on Iran-backed groups, with no casualties reported.

US forces then replied by shelling the alleged source of the attack.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.