At least one dead and six wounded in an attack on a US military base in Syria

The US Army carries out retaliatory airstrikes

At least one person has been killed and six others injured after a kamikaze drone hit a maintenance facility at the US military base in Hasaka in northeast Syria.

The United States Department of Defense has reported the attack, which took place this Thursday at 1:38 p.m. local time, specifying that the dead man is a contractor, while the wounded are five members of the American service and another contractor.

Four of the wounded have been flown to Iraq for medical treatment. In addition, all the victims are American nationals, according to the statement.

The intelligence services of the United States consider that the attack is of Iranian origin, for which the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, has ordered the Army to carry out air strikes against facilities linked to Tehran.

"Following instructions from the President, (Joe) Biden, I have authorized the forces of the United States Central Command to carry out precision air strikes tonight in eastern Syria," Austin explained.

The Secretary of Defense has explained that the retaliatory attacks are directed against facilities used by "affiliated groups" to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC).

"The airstrikes have been carried out in response to today's attack, as well as a series of recent attacks on coalition forces in Syria by IRGC-affiliated groups," he explained.

The head of the Pentagon has explained that these attacks "have the objective of protecting and defending US personnel," according to a statement.

"As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary steps to defend our people and we will always respond at the time and place we choose," he said. "No group will attack our troops with impunity," he added.

AT LEAST EIGHT KILLED AFTER US ATTACK

Following Austin's announcement, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that airstrikes by US forces have killed eight suspected pro-Iranian fighters, while the death toll may rise as several are injured, some of them in critical condition.

The body, based in London and informants in the Arab country, has explained that Washington has directed its attacks against an arms depot in Deir Ezzor, where six of the victims would have died; and another militia hideout on the outskirts of the city of Mayadin, where the other two were reportedly killed.

According to the observatory, the militias would have mobilized some of their forces to face possible new attacks, while on Friday morning they would have launched new projectiles against the military base of the international coalition.