US downs Assad drone as Syria escalation fears rise
Russia’s hard line could take six-year civil war to new level as Pentagon and Tehran also flex muscles
A US fighter jet shot down a pro-syrian regime drone yesterday, the fourth time in a month that Pentagon forces have clashed with Bashar al-assad’s troops and their allies and raising fears of an escalation in the six-year war.
US officials said the armed Iranianmade drone was shot down as it neared the al-tanf base in southern Syria where US and British special forces train Syrian rebels to fight Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil).
The drone was blown up two days after the US destroyed its first Syrian warplane, prompting Moscow to threaten any coalition aircraft that enter airspace where its forces operate .
The Russian threat prompted Australia to suspend its anti-isil missions in Syria and raised fears the US may be edging towards a full-on confrontation with Iran and Russia.
“This is a dangerous escalation,” said Christopher Murphy, a Democrat US senator. “We have to understand what we’re getting involved in. You’re not just fighting Bashar al-assad. If you’re going to ramp up militarily against Assad you’re also going up against Iran and Russia.”
Meanwhile, an armed Russian warplane flew within five feet of a US reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea on Monday. US officials said the armed Su-27 buzzed the US aircraft in a “provocative” and “unsafe” way.
Aircraft from the Us-led coalition have been operating against Isil in Syria since late 2014 but it was only last month that they deliberately attacked Syrian regime forces for the first time. US jets bombed a convoy of Syrian military vehicles that drew near the altanf base on May 18.
In the month since, the rate of clashes has escalated quickly with the US shooting down two drones and a Syrian regime Su-22 bomber. Russia responded to the downing of the Syrian jet with a warning that its air defence systems would now track any coalition aircraft flying west of the Euphrates.
Moscow also said it would stop using the so-called deconfliction channel, a line between the US and Russia designed to prevent accidents or misunderstandings. Russia made a similar threat in April, after Donald Trump ordered a missile strike on Syria in response to a deadly chemical weapons attack, but did not follow through. The US and Britain said so far Russia was still taking part and urged Moscow to keep using the communications link.
Adding to the combustible mix in Syria, Iran fired a salvo of cruise missiles against Isil on Sunday, the first time Iran has fired missiles since the Iran-iraq war. Its Revolutionary Guard said the strikes were in retaliation for an Isil attack in Tehran on June 7 but it was also seen as a warning to Saudi Arabia and the US that Iran is able to fire missiles at long range.