US coalition in first downing of Syrian army plane

[LA se Karachi]

US coalition in first downing of Syrian army plane

An F/A-18E Super Hornet (similar to the one pictured) shot down the Syrian army plane ​

A US-led coalition fighter jet has shot down a Syrian military plane in Raqqa province, the US has confirmed.

The SU-22 fighter bomber was engaged by an F/A-18E Super Hornet after it had dropped bombs near the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, the Pentagon said.

It is the first time in the Syrian conflict that the US-led coalition has shot down a Syrian jet.

Syria condemned what it called a "flagrant attack" that would have "dangerous repercussions".

In a separate incident, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had launched several missiles from Iran into eastern Syria on Sunday, targeting IS fighters.

'Show of force'

The SU-22 incident took place on Sunday afternoon near the town of Tabqa, where the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been fighting Islamic State militants as part of a drive to retake the city of Raqqa, the IS stronghold further to the east.

The Pentagon said that pro-government militiamen had attacked SDF units, driving them from the town of Ja'Din.

The pro-government forces are not fighting the battle for Raqqa, but they have been making ground against IS in the surrounding area, south-west of the city.

The US-led coalition conducted what the Pentagon said was a "show of force" - a reported buzzing of the pro-government troops by jets - to stop the attack and then called the Syrian government's ally, Russia, to try to "de-escalate the situation and stop the firing".

However, the SU-22 dropped bombs on SDF positions a few hours later, the Pentagon said, and "in accordance with rules of engagement and in collective self-defence of Coalition-partnered forces [the plane] was immediately shot down".

Attempts to warn the plane away using an emergency radio frequency failed, the US Central Command said.

The Pentagon statement added: "The demonstrated hostile intent and actions of pro-regime forces toward Coalition and partner forces in Syria conducting legitimate counter-Isis (IS) operations will not be tolerated."

The incident is believed to be the first air-to-air kill by a US military jet in nearly two decades

The Pentagon statement said the coalition did "not seek to fight the Syrian regime, Russian or pro-regime forces partnered with them, but will not hesitate to defend coalition or partner forces from any threat".

The Syrian army said its warplane was on a mission against IS when it came under fire, according to state television.

It said the incident would have "dangerous repercussions" on efforts to fight terrorism.

An army statement said the pilot of the plane was missing.

The "flagrant attack was an attempt to undermine the efforts of the army as the only effective force capable with its allies... in fighting terrorism across its territory," it said.

Although this is the first time the coalition has shot down a Syrian jet, there has been an increasing number of incidents between the two sides.

Earlier this month, the US shot down a pro-Syrian government armed drone after it fired at coalition forces near the al-Tanf border crossing, between Syria and Iraq.

The month before, US-led coalition aircraft bombed a convoy of pro-Syrian government forces who were reportedly moving towards a base at al-Tanf being used by rebel fighters and Western special forces.

'A new phase'

On Sunday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had fired mid-range ground-to-ground missiles from a site in western Iran targeting "the headquarters and meeting place and suicide car assembly line" of "IS terrorists" in Syria's province of Deir al-Zour.

The Guards said a "large number" of militants had been killed and equipment and weapons were destroyed.

The missiles were apparently in response to an IS-claimed attack on the Iranian parliament earlier this month which killed more than a dozen people.

"The spilling of any pure blood will not go unanswered," a Guards statement said.

Iran has been a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, sending military advisers and thousands of "volunteer" troops.

 

[BDforever]

Coward yankees! GO mess with Russia or china and see what you get in return instead of crushing the weak.

forget that, worst part is Yankees took on 3rd gen fighter bomber which barely has air to air combat capability lol

 

[Fledgingwings]

forget that, worst part is Yankees took on 3rd gen fighter bomber which barely has air to air combat capability lol

Thats the point! Only going after the weak.

 

[LA se Karachi]

Syria conflict: US jet 'downs Iranian-made drone'

A US jet has shot down an Iranian-made drone operated by forces backing the Syrian government in the south of the country, American officials say.

The drone was thought to be armed and threatening US-led coalition troops on the ground, officials said.

It was shot down near Tanf, an outpost of the US-led coalition.

This is the latest incident in the skies over Syria, after the US shot down a Syrian fighter plane on Sunday and another drone earlier this month.

The F-15 plane downed the drone around 00:30 on Tuesday (21:30 GMT Monday) north-east of Tanf, according to a US military statement.

The incident underscores the growing tensions in the region as a battle develops for the control of eastern Syria, BBC defence and diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says.

In another development, the US military announced officially that coalition forces had killed the top cleric of so-called Islamic State (IS), Turki al-Binali, in an air strike in Syria last month. IS supporters have also reported his death.

What do we know about the drone?

Iranian state TV broadcast footage of the Shahed 129 two years ago

Military officials who spoke to CNN described it as a Shahed 129, a model unveiled by Iran in 2012.

It is said by the Iranians to have a range of 2,000km (1,240 miles) and be capable of carrying bombs and missiles.

"They were threatening our forces on the ground," the US official quoted by AFP said. "Their course was on a run toward our folks to drop a munition on them."

The last drone the US says it shot down was also reportedly destroyed near Tanf after firing on coalition forces.

Tanf has been used by Western special forces as well as Syrian rebel forces.

The Syrian plane destroyed on Sunday, a Su-22 fighter bomber, was hit after reportedly dropping bombs near the town of Tabqa in Raqqa province.

In response, Russia, one of Syria's main allies, announced that US-led coalition warplanes flying west of the River Euphrates would be tracked by Russian anti-aircraft forces in the sky and on the ground and treated as targets

It suspended a hotline set up to avoid clashes between US and Russian aircraft in the region.

On Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov accused the US of "open collusion with terrorists" in Syria.

How dangerous is the situation?

With IS under growing pressure in Raqqa the fight is on for who controls the territory after its demise, our correspondent says.

Iranian-backed pro-Syrian regime forces are pushing forward on a number of fronts, and the US is equally eager to resist what it sees as a widening of Iranian influence.

Iran says it attacked IS fighters in eastern Syria with long-range missiles on Sunday.

So the tensions locally are mounting between the US and pro-regime forces; between the US and the Russians; and more broadly between Washington and Tehran.

By accident or design, any one of these sources of friction could prompt a much more significant military encounter, our correspondent adds.

Who was Turki al-Binali?

Originally from Bahrain, Binali joined IS in 2014 and played a key role within the group acting as its top religious official and offering guidance to its leaders and militants alike, BBC Monitoring reports.

US Central Command says he was killed by an air strike on 31 May in the eastern town of Mayadin.

IS supporters went online to announce his death.

http://www.bbc.com/news