US launches airstrike in Syria in response to attacks by Iranian-backed militias

US defense secretary Lloyd Austin said the US President has no higher priority than the safety of US personnel (Manuel Balce Ceneta/ AP File)

The US has carried out an airstrike on a weapons warehouse in eastern Syria used by Iranian-backed militias.

It comes in retaliation for what has been a growing number of attacks on bases housing US troops in the region for the past several weeks, the Pentagon said.