Officials: US-Led Forces Commence Live-Fire Drills in Iraq and Syria Following Attacks
U.S. troops are now conducting live-fire exercises in Middle Eastern bases this week, officials say.
United States-led coalition forces started live-fire exercises at bases in Iraq and Syria this week after multiple attacks on American soldiers in the past week, officials confirmed Wednesday.
The task force that operates the mission in Iraq and Syria to initially combat the ISIS terrorist group confirmed to media outlets that ground exercises are being carried out “to validate weapons systems and maintain crew proficiency and readiness” in the region.
“On Oct. 25, 2023, Coalition service members will be conducting ground operational exercises in or near the al-Hasakah region in Syria to validate weapons systems and maintain crew proficiency and readiness,” the Combined Joint Task Force—Operation Inherent Resolve stated. Another notice said that forces will carry out defense of bases and “ground operational exercises in or near the Khalidiyah region in Iraq.”
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The Department of Defense confirmed this week that U.S. forces were attacked around a dozen times in Iraq and three times in Syria between Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, leaving approximately two dozen injured. Those attacks included rockets, drones, and other means, officials said.
“There have been a few reports of TBIs as well as some minor injuries from service members,” one of the alleged U.S. officials told the outlet, using the acronym for traumatic brain injuries. The service members have returned to active duty, the official said.
Department of Defense spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, in confirming the attacks, noted that they come in the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict that erupted earlier this month after Hamas, a designated terrorist group, attacked areas across southern Israel, leaving hundreds of civilians dead. In turn, Israel’s military has launched an extensive bombing campaign targeting Gaza
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