The Pentagon warned the Syrian government on August 19 not to strike USA and coalition personnel in Syria, a day after the regime carried out airstrikes in an area near American special operations forces, prompting the U.S.to scramble jets to protect them, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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While Cook avoided threatening a politically risky “no-fly zone” over the area, he nevertheless warned that the United States would “always have the right to defend our forces” if they came under attack from Syrian or Russian jets. Clashes between the two forces intensified in the past week, marking the most violent confrontation between them since the Syrian civil war broke out more than five years ago.
Hassib said that he could hear US aircraft as fighting between government troops and Kurdish fighters continued on the ground.
“The Syrian regime would be well advised not to do things that would place them at risk”, Davis said Friday.
“We will always seek to protect our forces and we have an inherent right to ensure self defense if a situation dictates”, Air Forces Central Command spokesman Lt. Col. Chris Karns told Air Force Times Saturday.
The U.S. confirmed last week that it scrambled fighters after coalition forces came under attack by Syrian warplanes.
A Kurdish female fighter from the People’s Protection Units (YPG) gestures as she carries her weapon near al-Hawl area in the southeastern city of Hasakah, Syria November 10, 2015.
Syrian military forces and Kurdish fighters have agreed to a ceasefire in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasaka, according to Syrian state media and a London-based monitoring organization.
Fighting between a pro-government militia and Kurdish forces since Wednesday has left at least 43 people dead including 27 civilians, among them 11 children, according to the Observatory.
The close encounter comes only a day after two Syrian warplanes attacked the Kurds, a key USA ally, forcing USA special operations forces to be withdrawn from their position in northern Syria.
“Right now in the city you don’t have electricity, you don’t have bread”, he said.
Clashes erupted last week after Kurds demanded the NDF be dismantled in Hasakeh, and violence escalated on Thursday when regime warplanes bombarded Kurdish-held positions in the city for the first time.
As soon as the strikes began, Kurdish ground forces unsuccessfully tried to hail the pilots via radio.
The operations were part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US military’s central effort against the Islamic State militant group in both Syria and Iraq – a campaign that’s supported by Bashar Assad’s regime and their top ally, Russia.
The YPG is at the heart of a US-led campaign against ISIS in Syria and controls swathes of the north where Kurdish groups have set up their own government since the Syrian war began in 2011.
He said coalition aircraft were now carrying out additional combat patrols in the region.
“They would be advised not to fly where our forces are operating”.
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Around two-thirds of Hasakeh is controlled by Kurdish forces, while the rest is held by pro-government militia.
