US bombs its own military base after Syria withdrawal

US bombs its own military base after Syria withdrawal
Fighter jets targeted a cement factory near Kobane which had served as a coordination centre for the US-led coalition and Kurdish forces in the fight against the Islamic State group.
2 min read
17 October, 2019
A US official said the F-15E fighter jet strikes were pre-planned and destroyed ammunition. [Getty]

US fighter jets on Wednesday launched airstrikes on its own military base in Syria to destroy ammunition that was left behind when American forces withdrew.

The jets targeted a cement factory south of Kobane which had served as a coordination centre for the US-led coalition and Kurdish forces in the fight against the Islamic State group.

US Army Col. Myles Caggins, a spokesman for the coalition, says the F-15E fighter jet strikes were pre-planned and destroyed ammunition stored at the Lafarge Cement Factory.

Read more: Trump has 'meltdown' in White House meeting on Syria

He says all coalition personnel and "essential tactical equipment" had left the base before the strike.

Most of the 1,000 US forces in Syria are being withdrawn over the coming days and weeks because of the Turkish invasion into northern Syria and the attack on Kurdish forces.

Trump's decision to withdraw troops prompted a critical backlash, with senior Republican figures decrying the move.

On Thursday, Republican Congressman Adam Kizinger slammed the airstrikes on the former American base in Syria.

"We bombed our own base on purpose, because of the impulsive decision by @realDonaldTrump didn't leave time to evacuate the right way. Is this the America you grew up believing in?"

The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to condemn Donald Trump's pull-back of US troops from northern Syria, a formal manifestation of the fierce bipartisan backlash against the president's controversial policy.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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