A drone strike in Syria targeted the US military

(CNN) – A drone strike targeted the US military at Al-Tanf base in Syria near the Jordanian border, Wednesday, according to a US defense official.

The initial assessment is that there were no casualties as a result of the attack, but the assessment of the damage is ongoing.

The United States maintains about 900 troops in Syria, largely spread across Syria Tanf base and oil fields in the east of the country.

The base is located within a 51-square-kilometer “conflict-free” zone near the Syrian border with Jordan, set up by Russia and the US-led coalition to prevent the two sides from accidentally communicating. The region has witnessed fierce fighting in recent years between US forces and ISIS, which has taken control of the area.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. But Iran-backed Shiite militias in the region frequently attack the US military in Syria and Iraq.

In late June, during a period of heightened tension between the United States and Iran, missiles were fired at a US base in eastern Syria, and US officials were quick to blame Iran-backed Shiite militias. The missile attack came a day after the US military attacked facilities used by militias. The United States has carried out airstrikes on two weapons storage and operational facilities in Syria and Iraq due to an increase in the number of missile attacks on the U.S. military and bases in Iraq.

The First known military action The United States under President Joe Biden signed in February, when attack a site In Syria it was used by two Iranian-backed paramilitary groups in response to Missile attacks against US forces in the region. Those attacks raised the concerns of lawmakers, who said that Biden did not seek the necessary authorization from Congress. The White House said the attacks were supported by Article Two of the Constitution as well as the United Nations Charter.

In late September, the United States launched an airstrike on a prominent al-Qaeda leader in Idlib, a city in northwestern Syria.

This news is under development and will be updated.