Washington [US], October 6: A Turkish UAV was shot down by a US F-16 fighter jet in northeastern Syria, according to the Pentagon's announcement.
A Turkish armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was shot down by a US aircraft while operating near US military forces and Kurds in Syria. The US and Türkiye are allies in NATO.
Reuters quoted Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder as saying that Turkish UAVs were seen carrying out air strikes in Hasakah on the morning of October 5, just 1 km from the position of US soldiers. A few hours later, a Turkish UAV approached US forces within less than 0.5 km and was considered a threat so it was shot down by an F-16 aircraft.
CNN quoted US officials saying that this country's forces issued dozens of warnings before taking action. "We see no signs of Türkiye intending to target US forces," Mr. Ryder said.
Hasakah is an area in northeastern Syria and is where the mainly Kurdish YPG force is leading the US-allied group against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).
Mr. Ryder said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called his Turkish counterpart YasarGuler. The Turkish Ministry of Defense later posted on social network X that Mr. Guler said Türkiye was ready for a joint war with the United States against IS. The two ministers emphasized the importance of closely coordinating the activities of each other's units in the region.
New Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown also spoke with his Turkish counterpart, discussing following common deconfliction protocols to ensure the safety of soldiers in Syria.
A Turkish defense official said the downed UAV did not belong to the country's armed forces. The US has never shot down a Turkish plane, but tensions between the two countries have increased after a number of incidents.
Turkey has been airstrikes against Kurdish armed groups in the area since the bombing in Ankara last week. US support for Kurdish forces in northern Syria has long strained relations with Türkiye. Turkey considers these Kurdish groups to be related to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an organization considered terrorist by Ankara and has claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper
