Security

More Bradley Fighting Vehicles deployed to northeast Syria

"The platform has already provided a powerful deterrent to malign activities in the most volatile and vulnerable areas."

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2022/04/05 20:07

US Soldier from the 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1/163rd Combined Arms Battalion, inspects a Bradley M2A3 Fighting Vehicle in Kuwait, Jan. 27, 2022. (Photo: US Air National Guard/Staff Sgt. Chloe Ochs)

Syria US-led Coalition CENTCOM Bradley Fighting Vehicle Hasakah

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve against the Islamic State (the official name for the US-led coalition against ISIS) on Tuesday announced that additional M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles have recently arrived in northeast Syria.

The M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle is a light armored, fully tracked transport vehicle, providing cross-country mobility with firepower and protection, the coalition said in a statement published on the official website of US Central Command (CENTCOM).

.@CJTFOIR demonstrated its continued commitment to the enduring defeat of Daesh with the recent addition of additional M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle capability in NE Syria #StrongerTogether https://t.co/s1WNb726Df
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 5, 2022

"The platform has already provided a powerful deterrent to malign activities in the most volatile and vulnerable areas, such as last month in Hasakah, Syria, where the vehicles were key to enabling partner forces in Daesh's failed attempt to free thousands of detainees," read the statement.

ISIS launched a large-scale attack on al-Sina'a prison, which holds 3,000 to 3,500 suspected terrorists, with an explosive-laden car on Jan. 20 as detainees rioted inside.

After ISIS attacked the Hasakah prison, the coalition supported the SDF with Bradley vehicles and Apache attack helicopters.

The SDF announced on Jan. 30 that it fully recaptured al-Sina'a following the surrender of the remaining ISIS fighters there.

"The Bradleys quickly proved their worth last month in close support to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who quelled Daesh's attempted breakout of Ghuwayran Prison in Hasakah City," the commander of Task Force Rock Lt Col Dan Leard said in the statement.

"The unit has since turned south to support the SDF along the Middle Euphrates River Valley (in Deir al-Zor)," he added. "There's nothing in this theater that could stand against this company of Bradleys. They provide a supreme sense of confidence to our partners as they continue the fight against Daesh (ISIS)."

The US-led coalition redeployed Bradley Fighting Vehicles to northeastern Syria as a deterrent to Russian threats in 2020.

Also, in October 2021, the Bradley vehicles carried out joint patrols with the SDF in Hasakah to improve security in the area.