US forces shoot down Iranian-made drone over Conoco oil field in North and East Syria

DAYRO ZCURO, Syria — US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced via Twitter that it had shot down an Iranian-made drone that was hovering over a US military base in the Conoco oil field in the countryside of Dayro Zcuro (Deir ez-Zor) in eastern Syria.

According to CENTCOM, the reconnaissance drone flyover and shoot down occurred on Tuesday afternoon. It did not provide any additional information regarding the incident or the identity of the drone operator.

On February 14th, at approximately 2:30 PM local time, US forces in Syria engaged and shot down an Iranian-manufactured UAV attempting to conduct reconnaissance of Mission Support Site Conoco, a patrol base in northeast Syria. pic.twitter.com/3GSf8odK3w

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 15, 2023

The statement did not mention any response from Iranian forces stationed west of the Euphrates River which is under the control of the Syrian regime.

Newsweek reported that attacks on U.S. bases in Syria have been increasing, and that the U.S. response has been “intermittent and limited,” which may have emboldened Iranian-backed militias to resume attacks on U.S. forces.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Iran has been increasing its drone attacks on U.S. forces in Syria.

International efforts are underway to confront Iranian actions in the region. There are approximately 900 US troops stationed in Syria, including those in North and East Syria who are working with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to target the Islamic State (ISIS) and its leadership.