U.S planes bomb Iran elite forces in new blitz
‘Revenge strike’ after drone kills 3
US warplanes launched devastating air strikes against Iranian elite forces last night in revenge for a drone strike that killed three American soldiers.
Multiple explosions rocked targets in Syria and Iraq as the US mission got underway, hitting sites where Tehran’s troops and affiliated networks are based.
At least one American B1 heavy bomber was reported to have left RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk, last night.
The initial strikes by manned warplanes and drones smashed command and control headquarters, ammunition storage and other facilities in Syria and Iraq.
Although the strikes were mainly hitting Iran-backed groups some targets were directed at Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Explosions and warplanes were also heard over neighbouring Iraq where American spy plane missions have been mapping out targets since Sunday’s drone attack.
The first US wave hit over 85 targets, using long-range bombers mostly flying from the US, launching more than 125 precision bombs.
There were initial reports US troops at a base in eastern Syria had come under rocket fire, possibly the opening shots of a counter-attack.
But this is believed to be just the opening salvo of a much larger US operation that may go on for some time. US President Joe Biden warned last night: “If you harm an American, we will respond.”
A western intelligence source said militia commanders were ordering all fighters on the border areas between Iraq and Syria to evacuate immediately.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, closely linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has admitted launching the deadly drone attack on a US outpost in Jordan killing three soldiers and injuring 40.