WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden last week called off an air strike on a second target in Syria after a woman and children were spotted in the area, a senior administration official told NBC News.
Due to the presence of civilians, only one target was bombed in last week’s operation, which came in retaliation for recent rocket attacks on US personnel blaming the Pentagon on Iran’s backed Shiite militia in Iraq, the administration official and a Defense official said. said.
The president made the decision to cancel the separate air strike after military reconnaissance revealed a woman and two children in the courtyard of the intended target, the senior administration official said.
The administration official said the Biden administration had sent a private message to Iran.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on Biden’s decision, which came at the last minute before planes had to drop bombs on the second target.
The target, which was bombed by US warplanes last week, was a logistics road station in eastern Syria that, according to the Pentagon, was used by militants backed by Iran. U.S. officials blamed the deadly rocket attack on a U.S.-led coalition base on February 15 in Irbil in northern Iraq.
Since the US bombing last week, an Iraqi air base northwest of Baghdad that houses US troops has come under a rocket attack on Wednesday morning.
The U.S. military says Iran’s backing forces are likely to blame for Wednesday’s rocket attack, three defense officials told NBC News.
The three officials said the Pentagon was not yet ready to say definitively who had launched rockets at the Ain al-Asad base northwest of Baghdad, but the attack looked like previous attacks carried out and armed by the Iraqi Shiite militia and was supported by Iran.
Officials said the base was hit by medium-sized 122 mm rockets fired from a truck to the east. The Feb. 15 attack on a U.S.-led coalition base in Irbil in northern Iraq contained 107-mm rockets.
According to the Pentagon, a civilian contractor at the Al-Asad base had a cardiac arrest while taking shelter from the rocket. The largest base is home to about 1,400 coalition troops.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. was awaiting the outcome of an investigation into the attack by Iraqi authorities. The United States reserves the right to respond if necessary, Kirby said, but added that “no one wants to see this situation escalate.”
Along with the recent rocket attacks on US-hosted facilities, militia groups have intensified bombings on private contractors providing various bases in the country, according to Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, which oversees the activities of militia groups. The convoys are escorted by Iraqi security forces.
Amid tensions between the United States and the Iranian-armed militias, Pope Francis will pay an important visit to the country on Friday.
