Reports and online footage suggest that U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II jets, also known as Warthogs, carried out airstrikes targeting Regime Territory under the control of Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria. The strikes reportedly occurred on Sunday and Monday near the city of Deir ez-Zor, a strategic location along the Euphrates river near the Syria-Iraq border.
The alleged strikes reportedly killed over 50 militia members and destroyed multiple vehicles and structures, according to Viseregard 24.
CENTCOM issued a statement confirming the destruction of three truck-mounted multiple rocket launchers, a T-64 tank, and several mortars, which were deemed a “clear and imminent threat” to U.S. and coalition forces near the Mission Support Site Euphrates in eastern Syria. Press Secretary, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the “self-defense” strike was carried out after mobile multiple rocket launchers fired rockets near MSS Euphrates, and mortars were launched toward U.S. forces.
Videos circulated online allegedly show A-10 jets flying at low altitudes over Deir ez-Zor, releasing flares. Although these clips remain unverified, analysts note the presence of A-10s in the region, with units from the 107th Fighter Squadron (Michigan) and the 74th Fighter Squadron (Georgia) deployed to CENTCOM’s area of responsibility earlier this year. These deployments followed a series of attacks on U.S. positions in Syria, prompting retaliatory strikes.
On Tuesday Syrian State news agency SANA reported that “the Syrian army and allied forces confronted an attack launched by forces affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance on villages in the northern countryside of Deir ez-Zor province.”
The Rojava Information Center reported that the SDF’s Deir ez-Zor military council is involved in clashes in the Khasham pocket, a contested area previously under the control of the Syrian government and Iranian militias. According to the SDF, their deployment to these villages followed calls from the local population, who expressed concerns over the increased risk of ISIS sleeper cells exploiting the situation.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that thousands of Iran-controlled Iraqi militia members have entered Syria to reinforce Syrian government forces.
The recent U.S. strike marks the second time in less than a week that CENTCOM forces have been called upon to neutralize a threat in the region. On November 29, CENTCOM deployed A-10 fighter aircraft to successfully target and eliminate a hostile force posing a risk to U.S. and coalition forces at MSS Euphrates.
Earlier, on November 11, CENTCOM targeted Iranian-linked sites in Syria in response to militia attacks on U.S. personnel. The following day, a U.S. airstrike destroyed a weapons storage facility tied to these groups. CENTCOM underscored that such strikes are aimed at degrading militia capabilities and safeguarding coalition forces.
