US downs Iranian drone over Syria

The United States military said it shot down an Iranian-made armed drone in southern Syria yesterday, marking the third time this month it has downed aircraft affiliated with Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.

The Us-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group said an F-15 fighter jet shot down the drone “after it displayed hostile intent” while approaching a military camp near the Syria-jordan border.

A similar drone was shot down in the same location after it dropped munitions near coalition forces on 8 June.

The US on Sunday shot down a Syrian jet near Raqqa after it dropped bombs near Syrian Democratic Forces, which are battling Islamic State (IS).

Russia condemned the action and suspended a hotline intended to prevent such incidents.

The US also twice fired on Syrian government ground forces last month.

The incidents come as Us-backed forces push closer to the de facto IS capital, Raqqa.