US troops injured in ‘collision’ with Russian forces in Syria
A number of US troops have been wounded during a ‘collision’ with Russian forces in northeastern Syria, the first time American casualties have been reported in such an encounter, US officials say.
Reuters quoted US officials as saying on Wednesday that there was a collision earlier this week and not any exchange of fire.
Meanwhile, several US officials told CNN the incident took place on Tuesday.
AP quoted an American official as saying that the vehicle collision left four American troops with concussions.
Another official told AP that the incident happened deep inside the de-confliction zone in eastern Syria.
A video circulated on the internet showing two Russian helicopters flying above the Americans.
The incident was the latest skirmish between the Russian and American troops but was described as the most serious.
All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
Russia has been helping Syrian forces in the ongoing battle against terrorists across the conflict-plagued Arab country.
The Russian military's assistance began in September 2015 at the official request of the Syrian government. The United States also deployed troops and equipment to Syria in 2014, but without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate.
The US-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes and operations against what are said to be positions of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists inside Syria since September 2014. Damascus has repeatedly condemned the airstrikes.
The US has dispatched new deployments to the Syrian provinces of Hasakah and Dayr al-Zawr following President Donald Trump’s October decision to keep hundreds of US troops in Syria to ‘secure’ the country's oilfields which Syrian troops have yet to retake from militants.
Russia says Washington’s attempts to control Syria’s oilfields are “illegal” and amount to “robbery.”
Damascus is in great need of its major oil deposits in order to address its energy needs and rebuild the country amid crippling Western sanctions.
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