Russian warplanes deliberately targeted the U.S. backed anti-Islamic State Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near Dayr Az Zawr Saturday, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
The strike did not wound any U.S. special operators embedded with the SDF, though they were in the same area. “Several SDF fighters were wounded and received medical care as a result of the strike,” the statement revealed. Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Army Col. Ryan Dillon posted a photo of one of the SDF fighters receiving medical care on twitter after the incident.
#SDF & Coalition medics treat SDF wounded by Russian airstrike on known loc. Many #SDF from tribes local to Dayr Az Zawr, fighting vs. ISIS pic.twitter.com/rA4mkkzvKQ
— OIR Spokesman (@OIRSpox) September 16, 2017
“The Coalition and its partners remain committed to the defeat of ISIS and continued de-confliction with Russian officials. Coalition forces and partners always retain the right of self-defense,” CENTCOM stated.
Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov denied the accusation to AFP saying “This is not possible. Why would we bomb them?”
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