The US has bolstered its military forces in the Middle East following a series of attacks on US troops in Syria attributed to Iranian-affiliated militias, the Pentagon said Friday.
A squadron of A-10 attack aircraft are deploying to the region ahead of a scheduled deployment. The deployment of the attack aircraft was expedited by several weeks following the attacks in Syria, according to Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Phil Ventura.
In addition, the US ordered a carrier strike group to remain in the region to support US forces in Central Command, which covers the Middle East, and a squadron of A-10 attack aircraft to the region, Ventura said.
“We are committed to supporting the defeat-ISIS mission alongside a global coalition in Syria and prepared to respond to a range of contingencies in the Middle East if needed,” Ventura said in a statement.
The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group will remain in the Mediterranean Sea under US European Command, but it will support US forces in the Middle East in the event of contingency plans and operations, Ventura said. Led by the nuclear aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, the strike group also includes the guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf, the destroyer USS Delbert D. Black, and the support ship USNS Arctic.
“Collectively, these actions demonstrate the United States’ ability to rapidly reposition forces across the globe and underscores that all necessary measures will be taken to defend U.S. forces,” Ventura said.
Last week, a series of attacks on US bases in Syria killed one US contractor and wounded US personnel in the war-torn country.
The US has approximately 900 troops in Syria as part of the ongoing mission to defeat ISIS. But those forces, spread across several bases in northeast Syria, have become a frequent target for Iran and its proxies in the region, who can…
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