Syria hits out at US strike on troops
SYRIAN STATE-RUN media has said a rare US strike on government-backed troops in eastern Syria killed and wounded dozens of tribal fighters, calling it a new effort “to support terrorism”.
The US-led coalition said its action was in “self-defence”, citing a major attack on its allied forces and US advisers in Deir el-Zour province by at least 500 fighters, battle tanks, howitzers and mortars.
The overnight attack, which a US military official earlier said killed about 100 of the attackers, added another layer to the Syrian conflict that is once again plunging into a new and unpredictable spiral of violence.
The attack in Deir el-Zour province in north-eastern Syria occurred in crowded battle space.
A stronghold of Islamic State militants until late last year, the province was also the group’s main source of oil revenue.
US-backed Kurdish-led forces have been fighting for control of Deir el-Zour with rival Russianbacked Syrian troops reinforced by Iranian-supported militias.
The US-backed forces control areas east of the Euphrates River and most of the oil and gas fields, while government forces are based in the west.
The IS militants have been dispersed in the province, which also has a number of US bases.
Colonel Thomas F Veale said the coalition reported to the Russians the build-up of the progovernment forces in the area before the attack, and communicated with them during and after it.
The Russian officials offered assurances that they would not engage the coalition forces in the area, Col Veale said.
The Russian defence ministry said the incident showed that Washington was not interested in fighting Islamic militants but wanted “to seize and hold Syrian economic assets”.