The coalition made clear to the Russians to pass along to the Syrians that US aircraft would defend troops on the ground if threatened, the captain said.
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After days of intense fighting in Hasakeh, some fear the clashes there could usher in a new dimension to the Syrian war.
It was the first time since the conflict began in Syria in March 2011 that the army of the Syrian air had struck Kurdish positions.
Syrian planes bomb Kurdish-held area was posted in World of TheNews International – https://www.thenews.com.pk on August 20, 2016 and was last updated on August 20, 2016.
As reported by ABC, a us official said the presence of American F-22 aircraft “encouraged the Syrian aircraft to depart the airspace without further incident. They were nearby – close enough that it gives us great pause”.
Two-thirds of Hasaka are controlled by the Kurds and the rest by the regime of President Bashar Assad.
Meanwhile Moscow has released videos showing Russian warships in the Mediterranean firing missiles it says targeted the Islamist Jabhat group in Syria, formerly known as al-Nusra. It said that the aircraft reached the area as two Syrian jets were leaving, and the USA special operation forces were in the area where the strikes were taking place.
The main Kurdish force in Syria, known as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, has been the main US -backed force in Syria and the most effective force in fighting Daesh, also known as ISIS and ISIL. He said it is a Pentagon policy not to provide the specific location of USA troops in Syria.
It added that at least 25 people, including 10 children, were killed during the two-day escalation in Hasakah.
Deadly clashes erupted between pro-government militia and the US-backed Kurdish forces on Wednesday.
Naser Haj Mansour, a Kurdish official in the YPG-affiliated Syria Democratic Forces alliance, said Kurdish forces had taken some additional positions including an economics college.
Capt Davis told journalists that the United States had warned Syria via its communication channel with Russian Federation that it would defend coalition troops.
Ground fighting intensified late on Friday when Kurdish YPG fighters battled Syrian forces, whose air force flew sorties over the city, Kurds and monitors said.
US special operations forces were based about six kilometers (nearly four miles) north of Hasakeh and reinforcements arrived Friday “from inside and outside Syria, accompanied by military helicopters”, Abdel Rahman said.
Rami Abdulrahman, Observatory director, said the fighting began this week after pro-government militiamen detained a number of Kurdish youths, a step that had followed advances by Kurdish security forces towards government-held areas.
US-led coalition forces on the ground, Rankine-Galloway added, were safe. The airstrikes occurred in the general area where American special operations forces train and partner with the Kurdish forces against ISIS. Small groups have routinely been moving in and out of the country to conduct the training and advising mission.
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It was not clear Friday whether any people were killed in the airstrikes.
