US Deploys Long-Range Artillery System to Southern Syria for First Time

The US military has moved its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) from Jordan into southern Syria for the first time, positioning it near the US-Coalition training base at Al Tanf, three US defense officials confirmed to CNN Tuesday.


HIMARS, a truck-mounted system which can fire missiles as far as 300 kilometers, represents a major boost to US combat power near At Tanf, a location that has come under the spotlight following a series of recent coalition strikes against pro-regime forces operating in the area.

While this is the first HIMARS deployment to southern Syria, a US official told CNN that this was not the first time HIMARS has been used in the country, with the system being deployed to the north to help the Syrian Democratic Forces in their offensives against ISIS (also known as Daesh). US Marines have also used M777 howitzers in support of SDF units fighting ISIS in northern Syria.

HIMARS had been previously used to strike ISIS targets from firing positions in Turkey and Jordan. The system has also been deployed in Iraq to hit ISIS positions there.

The area around Al Tanf has become a flashpoint in recent weeks between pro-regime forces and coalition troops advising local forces battling ISIS...
 (Tasnim)
14/6/17
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