US occupation of our territory cannot go on: Syria says number of people dead, wounded in American strikes

“The occupation of parts of Syrian territory by US forces cannot continue,” the military said and affirmed the army’s “determination to liberate all Syrian territory from terrorism and occupation”.

According to a report by the news agency AFP, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief Rami Abdel Rahman said that at least 26 major sites housing pro-Iranian groups were destroyed in Syria, including weapons depots. Rahman added 23 pro-Iran fighters were killed in the strikes.

The air strikes

On Friday, the US launched air strikes against Iranian forces and allied militias in Iraq and Syria with President Joe Biden vowing more to come in retaliation for a deadly drone attack on an American base in Jordan last week.

The strikes, which lasted for 30 minutes, targeted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and “affiliated militia groups,” with American forces — including long-range bombers flown from the United States — hitting “more than 85 targets,” the US Central Command said in a statement.

“The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions,” the statement added. The targets included command and control and intelligence centres, as well as rocket, missile and drone storage facilities belonging to militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against US and coalition forces.