US confirms shooting down Turkish drone in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A US military F-16 fighter jet downed a Turkish drone operating above Syria, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said at a press briefing Thursday afternoon.
Ryder said that US forces observed Turkish drones “conducting airstrikes” within the vicinity of Hasakah Governorate, northeast Syria, adding that some of those strikes were “inside a US declared restricted operating zone.”
Hours later, a Turkish drone reentered the restricted operating zone. US commanders assessed the drone was a “potential threat,” leading the F-16 to shoot it down.
The US cited “inherent right of self-defense” in its decision to shoot down the drone, he added.
During the Pentagon press briefing, Ryder expressed concerns about the military escalation in Syria and its impact on civilians and the mission to combat Islamic State (ISIS).
Ryder reiterates commitment to continue working with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against ISIS.
Turkish drone strikes took place following a statement by Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, in which he threatened to strike a broader range of targets in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for the Ankara attack.
On Oct. 1, two individuals carried out a bomb attack in front of the building of the Ministry of Interior in Ankara injuring two police officers.
On Wednesday, Fidan claimed that the two assailants who carried out the attack had been trained in Syria. “From now on, all infrastructure, large facilities and energy facilities belonging to (armed Kurdish groups) in Iraq and Syria are legitimate targets for our security forces,” he threatened.