US Air Force arrests airman in connection to attack in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The US Air Force announced the arrest of an airman in connection to April attack at a US military base in northeast Syria that injured four US service members.
Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in a statement, “An airman was taken into custody at an undisclosed location in the United States on Thursday in relation to the attack on the Green Village base in Syria.”
Ms. Stefanek confirmed that the airman is no longer in Syria, as he completed his duty there and had returned home.
“After reviewing the information in the investigation, the airman’s commander made the decision to place him in pretrial confinement,” Ms. Stefanek stated.
The Air Force did not identify the attacker or give any further information about the incident, while two US military officials said that the detainee is an explosives expert.
The suspected had not been charged yet, as the military would release more information if charges were filed, according to Ms. Stefanek.
At first, Pentagon officials said they believed the April 7 attack at their base in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border was caused by a rocket or mortar attack carried by suspected Iranian-backed militias.
After a week of investigation military officials stated that the attack was caused by a “deliberate placement of explosive charges by an unidentified individual(s) at an ammunition holding area and shower facility,” according to CNN report.
The four wounded members were treated and returned to duty later in April, military officials said.
The US has about 900 American troops based in Syria primarily to advise and assist the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).