US soldiers caught up in firefight with Turkish rebels

US TROOPS have returned fire after being repeatedly shot at by Turkishbacked rebels in northern Syria.

In a rare such exchange in the sixyear war, the soldiers were on patrol near an area held by opposition fighters in the town of Manbij when they were fired on, said Colonel Ryan Dillon, the Us-led coalition’s spokesman.

“Our forces did receive fire and return fire and then moved to a secure location,” he said last night. “We have told Turkey it is not acceptable.”

Turkey is a US ally in the conflict in Syria, where both countries have been arming and training rebel fighters.

However, Ankara has repeatedly rebuked Washington for backing Kurdish fighters in the north of the country.

This is understood to be the first time US troops have returned fire on rebels in the area. There were no reported casualties.