SAS HEROES INJURED IN ISIS MISSILE STRIKE
Special Forces soldiers flown to hospital after attack on base
TWO SAS soldiers wounded fighting Isis in Syria were being treated at a secret location last night after their base was hit by a missile.
Military sources said one of the men was “very seriously “hurt, while the other has “non life-threatening” injuries.
They are expected to be flown back to Britain aboard a military flight and given further treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
A Kurdish fighter was killed in the Isis blast on Saturday morning, thought to be a missile strike on a base in the town of Deir al-Zour, in Syria’s east and about 450 miles from the capital Damascus.
The Syrian Democratic Forces – who are backed by the SAS and are fighting Isis – said in a statement: “Due to a smart missile attack, a fighter of the YPG Kurdish militia was killed and another wounded, in addition to two British soldiers.”
The two men were airlifted out of Syria to a Middle East hospital by a US Black Hawk helicopter.
The SAS are in Syria fighting alongside the Western-backed and Kurd-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who were trained by the West in neighbouring Jordan to take on Isis.
Last night, there was anger within the British government over US president Donald Trump’s “irresponsible” claim about withdrawing troops from Syria and that Isis had been defeated. America has more than 2000 troops fighting in Syria – all in Special Forces units – while Britain has close to 200, with a further 500 in neighbouring Iraq.
Trump said recently: “We have defeated Isis in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.” The move shocked US allies and US defence officials, with defence secretary Jim Mattis and top official Brett McGurk quitting.
A senior source told our sister paper the Mirror: “This was a thoroughly irresponsible statement by President Trump – as shown by the dreadful injuries suffered by our two soldiers. “The incident has strengthened the resolve of British Special Forces units in the region to help deal with the Isis threat, which is very much still there.
“Any claims of a withdrawal give hope and encouragement to the remaining elements of Isis, who are still extremely dangerous and trying to launch attacks in the West.”
This was an irresponsible statement – as shown by the injuries our soldiers suffered GOVERNMENT SOURCE ON DONALD TRUMP’S WITHDRAWAL CLAIM