National Security

US Shoots Down Another One Of Assad’s Drones Over Syria

Flickr/(U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Russ Read Pentagon/Foreign Policy Reporter
Font Size:

A U.S. fighter jet shot down a pro-Syrian regime drone Tuesday over southern Syria, the second such attack in less than a month.

A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle shot down the Shaheed-129 drone “after it displayed hostile intent and advanced on Coalition forces” near a joint special operations base in At-Tanf. The base was previously attacked by a pro-regime drone on June 8, which forced the U.S. to shoot it down.

“The F-15E intercepted the armed UAV after it was observed advancing on the Coalition position,” said Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition, in a statement on Tuesday. “When the armed UAV continued to advance on the Coalition position without diverting its course it was shot down.”

The engagement follows a previous encounter between U.S. and Syrian forces on Sunday, when a U.S. F/A-18E Super Hornet shot down a Syrian SU-22 fighter after it attacked Coalition partners in Syria. The Coalition described the strike as a “show of force.”

WATCH VIDEO SUMMARY OF DOWNED SU-22:

Despite the increase in incidents between pro-regime and U.S. forces, the Coalition insisted that it does not seek a fight with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or his allies.

“The Coalition has made it clear to all parties [publicly] and through the de-confliction line with Russian forces that the demonstrated hostile intent and actions of pro-regime forces toward Coalition and partner forces in Syria conducting legitimate counter-ISIS operations will not be tolerated,” said the Coalition statement.

Coalition forces also noted that a “de-confliction mechanism” with Russian forces exists to reduce accidents, but that it “will not allow pro-regime aircraft to threaten or approach in close proximity to Coalition and partnered forces.”

The statement called on all parties to “focus their efforts” on the “common enemy,” ISIS.

Follow Russ Read on Twitter

Send tips to russ@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.