The United States on Thursday shot down a Turkish armed drone operating near its troops in Syria, the Pentagon said, marking the first time the United States has shot down a plane from NATO ally Turkey.
Turkish Defense Ministry officials said the downed drone did not belong to the Turkish military, but did not say who owned it.
Turkey’s National Intelligence Service carried out attacks targeting Kurdish militants in Syria following last weekend’s bomb attack in Ankara, Turkish security officials announced Thursday.
Turkish airstrikes destroyed 30 Kurdish militant targets in northern Syria, including oil wells, storage facilities and shelters, and “neutralized” many of the militants, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Thursday night.
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said Turkish drones were seen conducting airstrikes Thursday morning in Hasakah, Syria, about a kilometer away from U.S. forces. Hours later, a Turkish drone came within less than 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles) of U.S. forces, was deemed a threat, and was shot down by an F-16 aircraft.
“There is no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting U.S. forces,” Ryder told reporters.
Hasakah is in northeastern Syria, where the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG) are the spearhead of a key ally in the US-led coalition against Islamic State, also known as Daesh.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Turkey’s defense chief, and Ryder said the meeting was “fruitful.”
Turkey’s Defense Ministry announced on social media platform X that Minister Yasar Güler told Austin that “Turkey is ready to fight Daesh jointly with the United States.”
“The two ministers emphasized the importance of close coordination between U.S. and Turkish elements in activities conducted in the region,” it added.
Relations between the United States and Turkey are at a delicate stage, with the United States expecting Turkey to ratify Sweden’s membership in NATO.
Although the United States has never shot down a Turkish airliner, there have been close calls as tensions have escalated. In 2019, U.S. forces in northern Syria came under fire from Turkish positions.
Gen. Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with his Turkish counterpart to discuss “the need to follow common deconfliction procedures to ensure the safety of our personnel in Syria,” the U.S. military said in a statement. Stated.
Turkish strike in Syria
Syrian Kurdish forces, allied with the United States, said eight people had been killed in Turkish attacks since a bomb attack by Kurdish militants in Ankara.
U.S. support for Kurdish forces in northern Syria has long caused tensions with Turkey, which considers them a wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The group claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack near Ankara’s government building.
Turkey said on Wednesday that the two attackers were from Syria. The bombing killed two attackers and injured two police officers. The Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led force backed by the United States, denied that the bomber had passed through Syrian territory.
On Thursday, Turkish Defense Ministry officials said a ground operation into Syria was one of the options Ankara could consider. Turkey has carried out several incursions into northern Syria against the Syrian Kurdish group YPG.
“Our only goal is to eliminate terrorist organizations that pose a threat to Turkey. Ground operations are one of the options to eliminate this threat, but it is not the only option for us,” the official said. said the person.
Security forces in northeastern Syria said Turkey launched a series of attacks on Thursday, with more than 15 drones entering the region’s airspace and hitting targets including infrastructure and gas and oil stations. Turkey’s attacks killed six internal security forces in northeast Syria and two civilians in two separate attacks, the security forces said in a statement.
Turkish private news agency DHA reported late Thursday that Kurdish militants launched a rocket attack on a Turkish military base in northern Syria, wounding five police officers and three soldiers.
Turkey has carried out airstrikes in northern Iraq, doubling down on operations targeting the outlawed PKK.
Turkish officials have said infrastructure and energy facilities in Iraq and Syria controlled by the PKK and YPG are legitimate military targets.
“PKK and YPG are the same terrorist organization and are our legitimate targets wherever they are. Turkey has conducted operations in the past whenever and wherever necessary, and these operations will continue if necessary again. ” said a Defense Ministry official.
Turkey has warned third country militaries to stay away from areas controlled by the PKK and YPG.
“We call on all parties, especially our friends and allies, to distance themselves from these terrorists. This is just a reminder. It is up to them to take the necessary precautions,” the official said. , the name of the country was not disclosed.
