Syria says foreign strike hit troops, US denies

BEIRUT/ DAMASCUS — Syrian state media reported on Monday that an airstrike against progovernment forces in the far east of the country caused casualties, while a monitor group said at least 40 pro-Syrian government fighters were killed.

The Syrian state TV report said the airstrike occurred around midnight in the village of al-Hari, to the southeast of the border town of Boukamal, and was carried out by the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State group. But a coalition spokesman said it had not carried out any strikes in the area.

The state TV report, quoting an unnamed military official, gave no breakdown of the casualties other than saying there “were several martyrs and others were wounded”.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the identity of the warplanes are unknown, adding that the death toll is likely to rise, as many fighters are either in critical conditions or missing.

In Baghdad, Iraqi officials said Popular Mobilization Forces — the mostly Shiite state-sanctioned paramilitaries — came under attack south of the town of Qaim, just across the border from Boukamal. They said 20 fighters were killed and dozens were wounded, adding that the cause of the attack was not immediately clear. The Iraqi officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

US military spokesman Colonel Sean Ryan said the coalition was looking into the reports.

“We are aware of the strike near Boukamal, however there have been no strikes by US or coalition forces in that area,” he said. “We’re looking into who that could possibly be but it wasn’t the US or the coalition.”

Syrian and Iraqi forces have driven the IS group from virtually all the territory it once held in both countries, but the extremists still control some remote areas along the border.

Syrian troops and allied militias have been conducting operations west of the Euphrates River, while the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led militia, is operating on the eastern banks. The US-led coalition has struck pro-government forces in the past when they have tried to cross the river. The overnight attacks took place on the western side.

The strike is not the first suspected US-led attack targeting Syrian military positions in Deir al-Zour.

In May, 12 pro-government fighters were killed by suspected US strikes on Syrian positions in Deir al-Zour, according to monitors.