Iran’s state broadcaster reported that “a US drone” attacked a convoy of 22 tankers near the Iraqi Syrian border Tuesday night, while others report high casualties
The source says eight tankers were targeted and two of them caught fire, forcing the convoy to stop moving. However, Iran claims still 14 tankers are in the Iraqi territory.
Iran's state broadcaster had earlier announced that American warplanes had launched airstrikes against a convoy carrying logistics along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
Sabereen News, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard says 25 fighters have been killed and 21 others injured so far but provided no details about the nationality of the military personnel. It says the fuel shipment was supposed to be delivered to Lebanon.
According to AFP, a spokeswoman for the US-led coalitionfighting the remnants of the ISIS in Iraq and Syria said that the strike was not carried out by the United States or any other coalition country.
Meanwhile, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated the strike hit a convoy of “fuel tankers and trucks loaded with weapons and most of those killed were militiamen.”
Pro-Iran militias have long been present near the Iraq-Syria border in Deir ez-Zor province and for several times Iran and the US launched reciprocal attacks there.
The strike comes a day after a US citizen, Stephen Edward Troell, was killed in Baghdad. No group claimed responsibility for the killing but Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday ordered an investigation. The US embassy in Baghdad confirmed Troell’s death, adding that they were closely monitoring the investigation.