US Accuses Russian Aircraft Of Striking Drone With Flare Over Syria

A Russian fighter jet struck a U.S. drone with a flare over Syria, marking the latest in a series of encounters between Russian jets and U.S. drones in the region, Al Jazeera reports.

Incident Details: The Russian aircraft flew dangerously close to the U.S. MQ-9 drone, deployed on a mission against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) armed group in Syria.

The U.S. Air Forces Central Command said in their statement that the Russian aircraft was “harassing” the drone and “deploying flares from overhead.”

“One of the Russian flares struck the US MQ-9, severely damaging its propeller. Fortunately, the MQ-9 crew was able to maintain flight and safely recover the aircraft to its home base,” said Lieutenant General Alex Grynkewich, the head of U.S. Air Forces Central.

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Approximately 900 U.S. forces are deployed to Syria to work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIL. Russia supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The incident follows a series of similar encounters over Syrian airspace. Tensions between the two countries have also increased following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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