Rare US Raid in Government-Held Area of Syria Kills One
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The US special forces carried out a rare operation in a village under government control in the northeast of the country, killing one person and capturing others, according to Syrian state TV.
The operation took place on Thursday in an area of Hassakeh province, which is partly held by government forces and partly held by US-backed Kurdish fighters.
“US occupation forces carried out a landing operation using several helicopters in the village of Muluk Saray in the southern countryside of Qamishli and killed one person,” Syria’s state broadcaster said.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Colonel Joseph Buccino confirmed to Reuters that US forces were involved in a dawn raid. He claimed that the operation targeted a Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) operative, but provided no further details.
The US has carried out previous raids in Syria, but Thursday’s operation would be the first known raid in a government-held area.
The village targeted by the operation lies 17 kilometers (10 miles) south of the city of Qamishli and is controlled by Syrian forces, according to the Britain-based so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
It is the first time that US forces conduct such an operation in government-held areas, it said, without identifying the victim.
Several other people were captured, it added, without providing a figure.
One village resident said that three US helicopters carrying troops landed in the village after midnight and told residents by loudspeaker to stay indoors and keep their lights off.
The resident said the operation lasted several hours and that there was no exchange of fire with the US troops.
The US military has stationed forces and equipment in northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists.
Damascus, however, maintains the deployment is meant to plunder the country's rich mineral resources.
The US forces have been actively involved in the Arab country under the guise of fighting the Takfiri terrorist group, but credible reports point to a secret alliance between the two in their attempts to topple the democratically-elected Syrian government.
Numerous reports and regional officials point to the US’s role in transferring Daesh elements throughout the region and even airlifting supplies to the group.
