The civilian worker suffered a “cardiac episode” whereas sheltering from a suspected assault
A US civilian contractor suffered a “cardiac episode” and died whereas personnel have been taking cowl from a suspected drone assault on al-Asad Airbase in Iraq on Wednesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Brg. Gen. Patrick Ryder informed reporters on Thursday.
Talking at a briefing in Washington, Ryder stated that whereas no assault really occurred, “sadly, a US civilian contractor suffered a cardiac episode whereas sheltering and handed away shortly thereafter.”
Two drones had focused the bottom the day earlier than. Ryder didn’t accuse any explicit armed group of being behind the assaults.
Al-Asad Airbase is regularly attacked by missiles and drones, with the US most frequently blaming Iranian-backed militia teams. In the same incident in 2021, a civilian contractor died of a coronary heart assault throughout an precise rocket barrage on the bottom.
Wednesday’s alert at al-Asad got here instantly after the US’ al-Tanf base in southern Syria was attacked by drones. Ryder stated that one drone was shot down whereas one other impacted the bottom, inflicting minor accidents to an unspecified variety of personnel.
In an incident on Thursday, a US warship working close to Yemen was swarmed by practically two dozen drones, Ryder stated. The USS Carney additionally intercepted a number of missiles launched by Houthi forces in Yemen, Ryder stated, including that the Pentagon couldn’t say the place the missiles have been heading, however that they might have been geared toward targets in Israel.
The US has directed vital naval energy to the Center East for the reason that struggle between Israel and Hamas broke out virtually two weeks in the past, together with two plane service teams.
“I am not going to forecast any potential response to those assaults,” Ryder stated at Thursday’s briefing. “I’ll say that we’ll take all vital actions to defend US and coalition forces towards any risk. Any response, ought to one happen, will come at a time in a fashion of our selecting.”
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