In response to a drone attack on a US base in northeast Syria that resulted in the death of a US contractor and injured six others, including five US service members, the US military carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed groups in eastern Syria on Thursday. The Pentagon confirmed that the one-way attack drone used was Iranian in origin. President Biden authorized the strikes, which were conducted by US Central Command forces in facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III stated that "no group will strike our troops with impunity." The US has around 900 troops in eastern Syria assisting Kurdish forces in preventing a resurgence of ISIS. The airstrikes were designed to limit the risk of escalation and minimize casualties, and the US has stated that it will continue to take all necessary measures to defend its people. Two of the injured soldiers were treated on-site, while the others were evacuated to medical facilities in Iraq.