U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed a “helicopter mishap” that resulted in 22 soldiers being injured, in northeastern Syria. The statement added that 10 service members were evacuated to “higher care facilities.”
The June 11th mishap “resulted in injuries of various degrees to 22 U.S. service members. The service members are receiving treatment for their injuries and 10 have been evacuated to higher care facilities outside of the CENTCOM AOR [area of responsibility],” the statement said.
It concluded that “the cause of the incident is under investigation” and “no enemy fire was reported.”
The U.S leads an international coalition fighting Islamic State (ISIS) forces in Syria, through its CENTCOM that has responsibility for the Middle East. The jihadist group lost their last scraps of territory, following a military onslaught in March 2019.
Remnants of ISIS remain in the region, mostly found in war torn countries with suitable desert hideouts. The terrorist organization used such sheltered spots to ambush Kurdish-led forces and Syrian government troops, as well as continuing to mount attacks in Iraq.
CENTCOM recently killed a senior ISIS leader, who was responsible for planning terror attacks in the Middle East and Europe. Some 1,000 U.S. troops were reported to be in Syria to assist in the fight against the jihadist group, according to Reuters, but often come under attack by militias funded by Iran.
In addition to U.S. forces, ISIS, Iran-funded militias, Turkish and Kurdish forces are also fighting in the war torn country. There’s also a presence of Russian soldiers. To avoid accidents, especially in the air, the American forces opened lines of communication with Russia.
However, accidents do occur. On Monday, a Turkish strike hit a vehicle and killed a Russian soldier, wounding several others. To make matters worse, U.S. military officials claim that Russia is no longer adhering to deconfliction protocols agreed upon with American and allied troops. – i24 News
