U.S. Airstrikes Target Militia-Controlled Areas In East Syria

BEIRUT (AP) – The U.S. military says it carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria that targeted areas used by militias backed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

The U.S. military’s Central Command said the strikes hitting Deir Ez-Zor “took proportionate, deliberate action intended to limit the risk of escalation and minimize the risk of casualties.”

An opposition war monitor reported least six Syrian and foreign militants killed.

There was no immediate acknowledgment by Syria’s state-run media of the strikes nor from Iran.

The strikes come after U.S. forces were targeted by a Aug. 15 drone attack.

Deir Ez-Zor is a strategic province that borders Iraq and contains oil fields. U.S. forces entered Syria in 2015, backing allied forces in their fight against the Islamic State group.

Native groups seek to repair lands damaged by colonization