Thursday, in fact, was the first time American fighter aircraft were scrambled in response to a Syrian government attack against the anti-terrorist Kurdish YPG – also known as the People’s Protection Units – which operates in the north.
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Syrian regime warplanes bombarded the northeastern city of Hasakeh for the second day on Friday, targeting positions held by Kurdish forces, a monitor and a journalist in the city said.
“We view instances that place coalition personnel at risk with the utmost seriousness, and we do have the inherent right of self-defense when USA forces are at risk”, he added.
But the Pentagon warning appeared to fall on deaf ears.
According to the Pentagon, the ground forces tried to contact the Syrian aircraft but there was no response.
While forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russian Federation and Iran, have focused mostly on fighting Sunni Arab rebels, the YPG has prioritised carving out and safeguarding predominantly Kurdish regions of northern Syria. The U.S. aircraft narrowly missed intercepting the Syrian planes, which had already left the scene near the town of Hasakah, U.S. officials said Friday.
It’s not a no-fly zone, but Syrian and Russian aircraft venturing near areas where US troops are on the ground risk getting shot down, the Pentagon’s press secretary said Monday.
The coalition is now conducting additional combat air patrols in the region, Davis said.
The Raptors chased away the Fencers to protect U.S. Special Operations forces that are operating in the area, and no weapons were fired, according to The Los Angeles Times’ W.J. Hennigan.
More than 250,000 people are estimated to have been killed in Syria since the civil war began in March 2011.
Monday’s offensive comes just hours after Syrian state media said a truce had been reached between Kurdish and government forces to evacuate the wounded from Hasaka.
Al-Masdar News, a pro-regime website, said renewed clashes broke out on Saturday after the failure of mediation efforts in the neighbouring city of Qamishli by a Russian military delegation.
In a separate development on Monday, Kurdish forces in the Syrian city of Hasakah violated a ceasefire agreement they had struck with Syrian army forces on Sunday under a Russian mediation. A senior u-s military officials telling CNN if the Syrians try this again they are at great risk of losing an aircraft.
Earlier on Tuesday, the European Syriac Union, representing Syriac Christians, issued a press release urging the European Union and the United States to increase their support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a northern Syrian military force dominated by the YPG, to protect Syriac Christians in Hasakah.
It was Moscow’s first use of cruise missiles in Syria since December.
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The situation between both parties have been calm throughout the past years, but tension sparked when both the Assayish and a pro-government fighter group, called National Defense Forces (NDF) started arresting members of each other.
