US bombed Syrian forces in Syria because they were getting "too close" to a US-rebel base in Syria
This post first appeared on Russia Insider
Syrian loyalist forces edging toward US-occupied al-Tanf in southern Syria have been attacked by US-led coalition aircraft, according to multiple reports.
There were conflicting reports about who carried out the strike. Initially some sources said it was the Jordanian air force, but since then the US has claimed responsibility.
Initial reports claimed the Syrian Army was targeted, then most reports spoke of a pro-government Shia militia, Kata'ib al-Imam. Now it appears most likely it was a mix of Syrian soldiers and Iraqi militiamen. (Al-Tanf is a border crossing with Iraq. The Iraqis were literally fighting to re-establish a land route back to their homes.)
We wrote just last week the area around al-Tanf was a potential flashpoint between between Syria and Russia on one hand and the US and its proxies on the other.
UPDATE: Just hours after the attack the US is already lying about it. A US defense official told the press the loyalist forces which were struck were operating in a Russia-brokered de-confliction zone. This is not true. There is such a zone in southern Syria but it only covers the rebel enclave further west around the Syrian city of Darayya. The al-Tanf area was explicitly left out.
UPDATE 2: According to al-Masdar the strike destroyed two T-62 tanks, killed 6 fighters and wounded 3. The targeted convoy included a "Shilka" self-propelled anti-aircraft gun but apparently it was powerless to stop the attack.
This post first appeared on Russia Insider
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