April Blast at US Base in Syria Being Investigated as Possible Insider Attack

An attack on a US base in Syria that took place in April is being investigated as a possible insider attack carried out by a US service member, the US military said in a statement on Monday.

The attack on a US base in eastern Syria known as Green Village was initially reported as “indirect” rocket or mortar fire. But a few days later, the Pentagon said it was the result of explosives that had been placed inside the base.

The military said in a statement that the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are “conducting a joint investigation of the incident. A possible suspect, a US service member, has been identified.”

The military stressed that “these are just allegations, all suspects are presumed to be innocent until/unless convicted in a court of law.”

US officials told CNN that the attack took place in the middle of the night and that the explosives had significant detonation power, stronger than a hand grenade. No US soldiers were killed in the attack, but four were injured.

US bases in Syria and Iraq come under frequent rocket fire as many elements in the region oppose the US military presence. In Syria, the US has about 900 troops stationed in the eastern part of the country.

On paper, the US occupation of eastern Syria is meant to help the Kurdish-led SDF fight ISIS. But the presence is also part of the economic campaign against the Syrian government as the eastern region is where most of the country’s oil fields are.

On top of the military presence, the US also maintains crippling economic sanctions on Syria that specifically target the country’s construction and energy sectors to prevent reconstruction.