US troops in northeast Syria Wednesday confronted regime loyalists with an air strike and live fire after one of their patrols came under attack near the city of Qamishli, a war monitor said.
American forces killed one regime loyalist in the rare clash in the regime-held village of Khirbet Amo, east of Qamishli, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and an AFP correspondent in the area.
Pro-regime news agency SANA said the locals had gathered at the army checkpoint in the village of Khirbet Ammu, east of the town of Qamishli, pelting the U.S. convoy with stones and taking down a U.S. flag from one vehicle. At that point, U.S. troops fired with live ammunition and smoke bombs at the residents, the report said.
SANA said the incident occurred after Syrian troops stopped a U.S. convoy of four vehicles traveling on the road, and hundreds of people gathered at the checkpoint to prevent it from continuing on its way. The U.S. troops opened fire and after a civilian was killed and another wounded, the residents attacked the convoy and damaged four vehicles, SANA said.
US warplanes launched one strike before the confrontation ended with the American convoy pulling out of the area, the monitor and the correspondent said.
Pro-Assad Al-Ikhbariya TV aired a cellphone video showing an armored vehicle flying a U.S. flag standing on a rural road while a car appeared to be blocking its way.
Locals were walking past the U.S. armored vehicle and at least two soldiers were seen inside, one stepping down as civilians approached. One civilian was tearing a U.S. flag as he approached the soldier.
The TV said protests spread, preventing reinforcements from coming to help the U.S. convoy. The report said the wounded civilian and was being treated at the Qamishli hospital.
Al-Ikhbariya reported that U.S. aircraft flew over the village where the incident occurred, saying there were direct clashes between U.S. troops and locals in Khirbet Ammu. The state-run TV said there were reports of a U.S. casualty, adding that troops withdrew from the area.
Hundreds of U.S. troops are stationed in northeastern Syria to fight against the Daesh/ISIS terror group. Russian and the Assad regime troops are also deployed in the area. A confrontation involving American and the Assad regime troops would escalate tensions in the crowded space.
