US, Russian troops square off in northeast Syria as Kremlin eyes wider footprint
US-Russian standoff near Derik, Syria, blocks traffic for hours before Russians return to Qamishli.
American and Russian troops reportedly squared off again in northeast Syria today after a Russian convoy ventured into territory controlled by the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State.
The Rojava Information Center reported that a Russian patrol came face-to-face with an American convoy on a road outside the city of Derik, in Syria’s far northeast corner near the Turkish and Iraqi borders. The standoff blocked local civilian traffic for hours, leading local police authorities to try to intervene, Syrian Kurdish journalist Hoshang Hasan reported.
Other reports said the US convoy prevented the Russians from moving into Derik, thus forcing them to turn back to Qamishli, where Russian forces shares a base with troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
At least two helicopters, one Russian and one belonging to the US-led coalition, flew over the scene earlier today, the Rojava Information Center said. The US-led coalition did not return a request for comment by publication time.
