President Biden made his first trip to Canada as commander-in-chief to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In his opening statements Friday, Biden addressed the fatal drone attack on U.S. forces in Syria.
According to CBS News Washington correspondent Christina Ruffini, President Biden expressed his condolences for the loss of life and vowed that those responsible would be held accountable.
"The situation in Syria is complex," said Biden during his speech. "We are still gathering all of the facts, but we know that this was a tragic incident that resulted in the loss of American lives."
The drone strike occurred on Thursday near a U.S.-led coalition base in southeast Syria. The attack killed one service member and wounded several others.
While initial reports suggested that the strike was carried out by Iranian-backed militias, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Ruffini noted that this incident underscores just how difficult it is to maintain stability in Syria and how quickly things can escalate.
"President Biden's decision to address this issue head-on shows just how seriously he takes national security and protecting our troops," said Ruffini.
As tensions continue to mount between Iran and the United States, many are concerned about what comes next for both countries' involvement in Syria.
For now, President Biden has promised a thorough investigation into what happened and has reaffirmed America's commitment to working with its partners around the world towards peace and stability in troubled regions like Syria.