The United States has approximately 900 troops in Syria and 2500 in Iraq as part of the coalition whose goal is the enduring defeat of ISIS.
In recent months, those U.S. forces have been attacked by Iranian proxies using drones and rockets that have resulted in injuries to dozens of U.S. personnel. The United States has repeatedly said it would respond to the attacks at its own time and choosing. Until January 4, 2024, the U.S. responded by targeting facilities, like training areas and weapons storage sites used by the Iranian proxy groups that resulted in a small number of enemy casualties. On January 4, however, the United States employed a different tactic in defense of its troops, as Pentagon Spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters:
“On January 4 at approximately 12 P.M. Iraq time, U.S. forces took necessary and proportionate action against Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al Jawari, a.k.a Abu Taqwa, who was a Harakat al-Nujaba leader. Abu Taqwa was actively involved in planning and carrying out attacks against American personnel. The strike also killed another HAN [Harakat al-Nujaba] member, and it is important to note that the strike was taken in self-defense, that no civilians were harmed and that no infrastructure or facilities were struck.”
General Ryder noted that U.S. forces are currently in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government to help train and advise in support of the Defeat ISIS mission, and that the United States will continue to consult closely with Baghdad about the safety and security of U.S. troops. He emphasized the danger posed by ISIS, both in the present, given its claim of responsibility for the recent terrorist attack in Iran, and in the past:
“You’ll recall, it was 10 years ago this coming summer that ISIS was approximately 24 kilometers outside of Baghdad when we kicked off the counter-ISIS mission, after they had subsumed large swaths of Syria and Iraq.”
“No one wants to see a return of ISIS,” said General Ryder. “So our focus is going to remain on the Defeat ISIS mission. But again, we’re not going to hesitate to protect our forces if they’re threatened.”
The United States, he declared, does “not seek any broader conflict with Iran; we don’t seek conflict with these groups, but we’re not going to stand aside and allow our forces to be threatened without ensuring that we’re properly protecting them.”
