U.S. bombs Iran-backed militia in Syria at President Biden’s order

U.S. forces struck multiple targets in eastern Syria used by Iranian-backed militant groups at around 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, the Pentagon press secretary confirmed to reporters, in retaliation for recent rocket attacks against bases in Iraq housing U.S. and coalition troops and civilians, including one that injured an American service member and killed a civilian contractor.

The strikes, ordered by President Joe Biden, “destroyed multiple facilities,” John Kirby said, used by groups including Kat’ib Hezbollah and Kat’ib Sayyid Lal’shuhada.

“At President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted airstrikes against infrastructure utilized by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria,” said Kirby. “These strikes were authorized in response to recent attacks against American and Coalition personnel in Iraq, and to ongoing threats to those personnel. Specifically, the strikes destroyed multiple facilities located at a border control point used by a number of Iranian-backed militant groups