The United States Military Shot Down An Armed Turkish Drone
The United States Military Shot Down An Armed Turkish Drone
Turkish intelligence service, MIT, carried out an operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and its affiliated Kurdish militia group in Syria, which is known as People’s Defense Units, or YPG.
The report said the Turks struck suspected arms and ammunition depots and buildings believed to have been used by the groups’ “sabotage” teams. It did not provide further details on the operation.
The United States military shot down an armed Turkish drone that came within 500 meters (yards) of American troops in northeastern Syria, in a rare use of force by one NATO member against another.
Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, called it a “regrettable incident” and said U.S. troops were forced to go to bunkers for safety as Turkey bombed targets nearby.
Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, spoke with his Turkish counterpart and stressed the importance of close coordination between their two countries to prevent any risk to American forces or to the global coalition’s mission to defeat Islamic State militants in the region, Ryder said.
“The decision was made out due diligence and the inherent right of self-defense to take appropriate action to protect U.S. forces,” Ryder said, adding that “we have no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting U.S. forces.
Typically, the U.S. and Turkish militaries, which are NATO allies, work in close coordination in conducting air maneuvers. But American troops also work closely with Kurdish-led forces to counter the Islamic State group in the region.
The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria conducting missions to counter Islamic State group militants.
There was no immediate comment from Turkey on the shooting of the drone.
a press conference following the attack, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkish intelligence officials have established that the two assailants arrived from Syria, where they had been trained. He said Turkey would now target facilities in Syria and Iraq belonging to the PKK or YPG.
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