Iran-made drone that killed a U.S. contractor and injured five Americans CRASHED into base in Syria

The Iranian-made drone that killed a US contractor and injured five US servicemen never fired a missile at the US facility where the attack took place, but crashed into the facility, the Pentagon said Friday.

The drone was “Iranian in origin,” Pentagon spokesman Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Friday, citing forensics and intelligence analysis, as new information continued to arrive about the attack on the facility and the U.S.’s “precision strikes.” ‘ that followed.

“As far as I know, it didn’t fire a weapon,” he said when asked if the drone could fire a weapon at the facility or if it had crashed.

Military analysts are still assessing how the drone was able to destroy the base. US radar providing information on incoming threats appears to have been in order.

“My understanding is that there was a complete visibility picture in terms of radar,” Ryder said. He said the US central command would conduct a review to “see if other types of mitigation measures should be taken.”

“This is a dangerous part of the world. The work we do is inherently dangerous. That’s why you have the military and places like this that mean this kind of operation. We’ve seen rocket attacks or attacks in the past for groups like this.

He repeatedly pointed out that groups backed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are behind the attack.

“The fact is that these IRGC rear groups carried out this attack and unfortunately we had an American killed,” Ryder said.

He wouldn’t immediately comment on why there might not have been an unforeseen event to shoot down the drone.

“We are taking several measures to protect our people. But again, it’s an inherently dangerous place. And we’ll look into the details of that,’ Ryder said.

He also underlined what the White House said earlier Friday, citing fears of escalation against a major power in the region.

“We don’t see any conflict or war with Iran. Our focus in Syria is on the lasting defeat of ISIS,” he said.

That came after the White House said Friday that the US is not seeking conflict with Iran after President Joe Biden launched a retaliatory airstrike on a US contractor killed in Syria by a drone strike. Activists said the US bombings killed at least four people.

A suspected Iranian-made suicide drone killed a contractor and wounded five US servicemen at a maintenance facility at a coalition base near al-Hasakah in northeastern Syria on Thursday.

Biden responded by launching “precision airstrikes” against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, killing 11 pro-Iran fighters. The Iranian-backed fighters responded by firing three missiles on Friday morning.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday morning: “We are not seeking war with Iran. We are not looking for an armed conflict with that country or any other war in the region.”

According to a US defense official, the US counterattacks were carried out by F-15 fighter jets flying from the al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

The US F-15s hit three locations, all near Deir el-Zour, a US official said.

Appearing on the US morning shows on Friday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked on CNN whether the US could consider the recent attacks an “act of war.”

We are not seeking war with Iran. We are not looking for an armed conflict with that country or another war in the region,” Kirby said.

“We’re trying to protect our mission in Syria, which is about defeating ISIS, and we’re trying to protect our people in our facilities from these Iranian-backed groups,” Kirby added.

He could not provide details about the identity of the US contractor, other than confirming that he was a US citizen.

“We’re trying to give the family here some time and space to grieve,” Kirby explained.

On MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Kirby said it was clear the Iranian-backed group resented the US presence in the region.

“They don’t want to see the United States presence in Iraq, they don’t want to see it in Syria and they are retaliating, they pretend to limit our ability to go after ISIS in both countries and to try and force our hand to leave,” Kirby said.

He also said that the three rocket attacks on the US base near the Al-Omar oil field caused no damage.

“It’s not unusual that when we take a retaliatory strike like this, they immediately respond with some ineffective missile fire and these were largely, completely ineffective,” Kirby said. “No one was hurt, no American casualties at all.”

“It was kind of an instinctive response from these militant groups when we do things like this,” he continued. “But having said that, we will of course remain vigilant for any other reactions from Iran or from their militant groups in Syria, in Iraq.”

U.S. Army General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the head of the U.S. Army’s Central Command, warned that his forces could launch additional strikes if necessary. “We will always take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing.”

President Joe Biden (pictured) ordered the retaliatory attack on a munitions warehouse, control building and intelligence gathering site

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III said he authorized the retaliatory strikes at the direction of President Joe Biden

US troops conduct military training in Syria’s Al-Hasakah province in September 2022