Iraqi Shia militia claims drone attack on US base in Syria

Baghdad, Nov 19 (IANS) An Iraqi Shia militia has claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a US military base in eastern Syria.

An armed group named "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" claimed in an online statement on Saturday that its fighters launched a booby-trapped drone on the al-Tanf military base near Syria's borders with Iraq and Jordan.

It said that the drone hit its target in the US military base, without providing further details, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, confirmed that the al-Tanf base was attacked and that the US air defence weapons shot down the drone in the vicinity of the base.

It obtained pictures of the drone that was shot down by the anti-aircraft at the al-Tanf base area, according to the statement.

The attack by the armed group is believed to be part of a series of retaliatory measures against the US forces amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, said the observatory.

The incident marked the 39th recorded attack on the US bases in Syria since October 19, it added.

--IANS

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