US troops injured in NE Syria were Delta Force members – officials
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The 22 US troops who were injured in a helicopter crash in northeastern Syria on June 11 were part of the US Delta Force commando unit, three senior military officials said on Tuesday.
Delta Force, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), is one of the US special missions units primarily focused on the counterterrorism mission.
The three military officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the continuing inquiry, said on Tuesday that an MH-47 Chinook helicopter carrying the commandos had gone down in apparently good weather and without taking hostile fire.
On June 11, The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that a “helicopter mishap” in northeast Syria caused 22 service members to sustain injuries of different degrees.
Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said later on Tuesday that the Chinook “had a problem with one motor that caused a hard landing during takeoff.”
The 10 most seriously injured troops were flown to an American medical hospital in Germany, but none of their injuries were life-threatening, the three officials said.
The past three US administrations have maintained a small contingent of US troops in Syria — about 900 at any given time, augmented by hundreds more contractors — who work with the Syrian democratic Forces (SDF) to prevent a resurgence by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in the country.