Questions linger after drone attack injures US personnel in Syria

In the aftermath of the one-way drone attack against U.S. forces in northeastern Syria on Aug. 9, multiple personnel are being evaluated for traumatic brain injuries and a comprehensive damage assessment of American assets on the ground is underway, three officials told DefenseScoop on Monday. 

“The drone struck [Rumalyn Landing Zone] at about 5 p.m. EST [on Friday], late into the evening in Syria, and caused damage to one set of facilities,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during an off-camera briefing. 

He largely declined to provide the latest details about the drone’s maker or origin in response to reporters’ questions, noting that the incident review is ongoing. 

But Ryder said U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East and is leading the assessment, have at this point “credited swift and effective preemptive measures as limiting the drone’s effect.”

“We have a significant amount of air defense capability. I’m not going to go into the specifics in terms of where that’s located and how it’s employed. Certainly, we are going to continue to do everything we can to ensure that U.S. forces are protected no matter where they’re serving,” Ryder said.

He told DefenseScoop that Pentagon leadership has no plans to announce new measures for boosting surveillance or air defense assets in that specific location, following the attack.

“As a matter of course, commanders are always assessing the situation, always looking at how we can make sure that we’re protecting our forces and, most importantly, conducting our mission,” he said.

About 900 American troops are currently operating in Syria to support local forces and partners working to counter any possible resurgences of the Islamic State terrorist organization.

This latest one-way drone attack there comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions between the United States and Iran-backed militia groups around the broader region, and amid intensifying concerns that Israel’s war in Gaza will morph into a wider conflict in the Middle East.

So far, “no group has claimed responsibility for the [Aug. 9] attack,” a defense official told DefenseScoop on Monday.

Although initial reports stated that American troops were not wounded at Rumalyn Landing Zone, the official said on Monday that multiple U.S. and coalition personnel were treated for minor injuries, including smoke inhalation.

“Others are being examined for traumatic brain injuries. Out of an abundance of caution, several service members were transported to a separate location for further assessment and evaluation,” the official told DefenseScoop.

Centcom spokespersons did not respond on Monday to requests for further information about the attack or a timeline for the ongoing assessment, and White House officials referred questions back to the Defense Department.