U.S. Coalition Strike Kills Syrian Forces
The nascent ceasefire is now in danger.
This Saturday, US-led coalition planes carried out an airstrike that accidentally targeted Syrian government soldiers, allowing the Islamic State jihadists that these forces were fighting to advance and jeopardizing the region’s delicate ceasefire. According to the Russian government, which informed the United States of its error, 62 Syrian soldiers were killed through the four strikes, although the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights puts the death toll as high as 83.
The strike has placed Syria’s fresh ceasefire in serious danger. In place since Monday, the agreement halted hostilities between Syrian government and rebel forces but did not affect fighting between the Syrian government and militant terrorist groups.
The US military claims it thought it was striking ISIS fighters, and that it was acting based on information conveyed from Moscow before the strike began. The raids were halted, according to a statement, as soon as word was received that the Syrian forces were being struck.
The Russian military blames the situation on the US’s refusal to coordinate military action and claims that Washington was not communicating enough or properly. In light of the accident, Russia has called an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Syrian officials have stated that this strike is “conclusive evidence” of US support for ISIS, and view it as “a serious and blatant aggression.”
