US troops injured after encounter with Russian vehicle in Syria
The US called the incident with Russia in northeast Syria a "breach of deconfliction protocols."
A Russian military vehicle hit a US-led coalition vehicle conducting a routine patrol in northeast Syria, leaving several injured, the National Security Council confirmed in a statement today.
NSC spokesman John Ullyot said a Russian vehicle struck a coalition all-terrain vehicle near the Syrian border town of Derik at about 10 a.m. local time Tuesday, causing injuries to the crew.
“To de-escalate the situation, the coalition patrol departed the area,” Ullyot said. “Unsafe and unprofessional actions like this represent a breach of deconfliction protocols, committed to by the United States and Russia in December 2019.”
According to Politico, which obtained a draft Pentagon statement, four troops were diagnosed with mild concussion-like symptoms after what was described as a deliberate ramming of the coalition vehicle. Apparent video from the scene showed the Russian vehicles in close proximity to US forces as a Russian helicopter circled above.
