US warplanes shot down a Turkish drone over Syria, citing it as a threat to American forces in the region, as reported by the Pentagon.
This event has the potential to escalate tensions between the United States and Turkey, who are NATO allies.
The incident occurred as Turkey was targeting Kurdish forces in Syria in response to a suicide bombing in Ankara, which was claimed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
According to Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder, US troops had observed drones conducting strikes in a “restricted operating zone” near Hasakeh, located less than a mile from American forces.
Subsequently, a Turkish drone re-entered this zone and approached US forces, despite a reported dozen attempts to contact Ankara’s military.
At this point, US commanders assessed the Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to be a potential threat, as it was less than half a kilometer away from American troops. In self-defense, US F-16 fighters shot down the drone.
Following the incident, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler, in which he emphasized the need for de-escalation in northern Syria and maintaining adherence to de-confliction protocols and military-to-military communication channels.
Turkey’s defense ministry confirmed the call and mentioned that the two officials discussed the latest developments in Syria.
