US Monitoring Latest Mideast Developments - Pentagon

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been receiving updates from and providing guidance to his team throughout the weekend on the latest developments in the Middle East, Pentagon said Sunday.
A statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that Austin and DoD leaders remain focused on the protection of US citizens and forces in the region, the defense of Israel, and the de-escalation of the situation through deterrence and diplomacy.
Secretary Austin stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict, Ryder carried on saying.
Secretary Austin made clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend (our) people, he stressed.
The United States retains the capability to deploy forces on short notice. The Department of Defense continues to maintain a significant amount of capability in the region and to dynamically adjust (our) force posture based on the evolving security situation, read the statement.
The Secretary has directed that the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group (CSG) remain in the USCENTCOM theater and that the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) will continue to operate in the Eastern Mediterranean. This afloat posture is complemented by DoD's elevated fighter and attack squadron presence, including F-22, F-15E, F-16, and A-10 aircraft, and we will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities in the coming days, it pointed out.
The Secretary has also increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating (our) preparedness to respond to various contingencies. And DoD maintains robust and integrated air-defense capabilities across the Middle East, ensuring the protection of US forces operating in the region.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) Forces said it conducted two targeted strikes in Syria, killing 37 terrorist operatives, including multiple senior leaders of the terrorist organizations of ISIS and Hurras al-Din, an al-Qaeda affiliate.
The airstrikes are part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the US, (our) allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.
On September 24, CENTCOM Forces conducted a targeted strike in northwest Syria, killing nine terrorist operatives, including Marwan Bassam 'Abd-al-Ra'uf, a senior Hurras al-Din leader responsible for overseeing military operations from Syria. Hurras al-Din is an al-Qaeda-affiliated organization based in Syria with global aspirations to conduct attacks against US and Western interests, according to a Command statementr.
The successful strike against Marwan Bassam 'Abd-al-Ra'uf comes a month after a successful strike that killed another Hurras al-Din senior leader, Abu-'Abd al-Rahman al Makki.
Additionally, on the early morning of September 16, CENTCOM forces said it conducted a large-scale airstrike on a remote ISIS training camp in central Syria, killing at least 28 ISIS operatives, including at least four senior leaders. The airstrike will disrupt ISIS' capability to conduct operations against US interests, as well as our allies and partners, it noted.
"These strikes against leadership and operatives of ISIS and the Al Qaeda affiliate, Hurras al-Din, represent CENTCOM's commitment to the enduring defeat of terrorist organizations in the CENTCOM area of responsibility and our support to regional stability," said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, US Central Command. (end)
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