A Pentagon spokesperson said on Sept. 23 that the United States is sending more troops to the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon escalates.
Citing “increased tensions” in the region, Department of Defense press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that a “small number” of additional troops would be sent, though he declined to say exactly how many, where they would be stationed, and what they would be tasked with.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region,” Ryder said.
Currently, the United States has around 40,000 troops in the region, some of which have been supporting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
The latest Sept. 20 operational update from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which covers the Middle East, indicates that U.S. forces destroyed a drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group over the Red Sea, a shipping lane that’s crucial for global trade.
“It was determined this system presented an imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” the latest CENTCOM update states. “This action was taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.”
The Pentagon’s announcement to beef up troop numbers occurs amid rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides appearing to be on the verge of an all-out war.
The cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah sharply escalated last week after thousands of pagers and walkie talkies used by Hezbollah members exploded.
Israel has denied involvement in the attack.
Tensions escalated further after an Israeli airstrike on a suburb in Beirut on Sept. 20 killed a senior Hezbollah commander.
“IAF aircraft conducted a targeted, intelligence-based strike in the area of Beirut, and eliminated Ibrahim Aqil, the Head of Hezbollah’s Operations Unit and the Commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Forces, who was also in charge of Hezbollah’s ‘Conquer the Galilee’ attack plan,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. “Aqil directed the terror attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983. He was a wanted suspect in the United States.”
Following the Israeli strike that eliminated Aqil, Hezbollah’s deputy chief, Naim Qassem said at a funeral on Sunday that the conflict had entered a “new phase, the title of which is the open-ended battle of reckoning.”
Hezbollah then fired rockets deep into northern Israel on Sunday, with the Israeli military countering that with its most widespread wave of air strikes on Monday against Hezbollah targets.
Lebanon’s health ministry said on Sept. 23 that the Israeli strikes killed hundreds of people, including women, children, and medical workers.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a video statement on Sept. 23 that Lebanese civilians should flee “immediately” from Hezbollah posts, such as those used to store weapons.
“This is an advance warning for your own safety and the safety of your family,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a message on Sept. 23, urging Lebanese civilians to take Hagari’s warning “seriously” and get out of harm’s way for the duration of the operation.
“I have a message for the people of Lebanon: Israel’s war is not with you. It’s with Hezbollah,” he said.
“For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garage. Those rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens. To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out those weapons,” Netanyahu said.
“I urge you—take this warning seriously. Please, get out of harm’s way now,” he said.
“Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times