A U.S. F-16 fighter jet shot down a Turkish drone flying over a base in northeast Syria where American forces are located, a Pentagon spokesperson said Thursday.
Escalating Aerial Incident
At 7:30 a.m. local time, U.S. forces observed unmanned aerial systems conducting airstrikes near Hasakah, in northeast Syria, including some just a kilometer away from the American troops, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters during a briefing. The airstrikes were inside a declared U.S. restricted operating zone, and the troops relocated to bunkers, he said.
Then at 11:30 a.m., a Turkish drone reentered the restricted zone, heading toward where U.S. troops were located, Ryder said. American commanders assessed that the drone, which was now less than half a kilometer away from U.S. troops, was a potential threat, Ryder said. American F-16 fighter jets shot down the drone at roughly 11:40 a.m.
Tensions Between the U.S. and Turkey
The downing of a drone belonging to a NATO ally is certain to escalate tensions between Washington and Ankara, which has long been unhappy with U.S. support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Before the shooting down the drone on Thursday, U.S. officials communicated with the Turkish military and warned that U.S. forces had the right to self-defense, Ryder said.
No U.S. forces were injured during the incident, and the Pentagon has no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting U.S. troops, he stressed.
Diplomatic Efforts
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart after the incident. During the call, he said the U.S. is in Syria only to hunt Islamic State terrorists, Ryder said.
New Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. CQ Brown, who stepped into the job on Monday, also spoke with his Turkish counterpart, Gen. Metin Gürak, on Thursday after the incident, according to his spokesperson Col. Dave Butler.
Concerns Over Escalation
Ryder noted that when it comes to northern Syria, DOD remains concerned “about the potential impacts of military escalation in that region,” citing impact to the civilian population and “our ability to maintain focus on rooting out ISIS.”
A Sensitive Situation
The drone, which belonged to the Turkish government, was armed with air-to-ground missiles, said a person familiar with the situation. The uncrewed aerial vehicle was a Bayraktar TB2, a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone built by Turkish defense company Baykar for use primarily by the Turkish armed forces, the person said. The Turkish defense ministry reportedly denied it owned the drone.
Ongoing Tensions
Turkey has threatened to invade northeast Syria a number of times in recent years in response to the PKK’s activity. In October 2019, Ankara launched a massive ground operation against the SDF, which killed and displaced thousands of people.
The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria, focused on hunting Islamic State terrorists with the SDF.
A Turkish Embassy official in Washington and State Department spokesperson declined to comment. Reuters first reported the news of the shootdown.
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