US Military Says 22 Service Members Injured in Syria Helicopter Mishap

A US helicopter in Syrian airspace. (AP)
A US helicopter in Syrian airspace. (AP)
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US Military Says 22 Service Members Injured in Syria Helicopter Mishap

A US helicopter in Syrian airspace. (AP)
A US helicopter in Syrian airspace. (AP)

Twenty-two US service members were injured in a helicopter "mishap" in northeast Syria, the US Central Command said late on Monday.

Ten service members had been evacuated to higher care facilities outside the Central Command area of responsibility, it said in a statement.

The cause of the incident on Sunday was under investigation, although no enemy fire was reported, said the US Central Command, which oversees US forces in the Middle East.

In March, 23 US troops in Syria suffered traumatic brain injuries during two attacks by Iran-backed armed groups, it said in April.



European Allies to Meet over Syria, Says Italy’s Foreign Ministry

 Passengers wear adopted flags by the new Syrian rulers at the arrival terminal of Damascus airport, as Qatar Airways becomes the first international airline to announce the return of international flights at Damascus airport after 13 years of its suspension, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Passengers wear adopted flags by the new Syrian rulers at the arrival terminal of Damascus airport, as Qatar Airways becomes the first international airline to announce the return of international flights at Damascus airport after 13 years of its suspension, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
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European Allies to Meet over Syria, Says Italy’s Foreign Ministry

 Passengers wear adopted flags by the new Syrian rulers at the arrival terminal of Damascus airport, as Qatar Airways becomes the first international airline to announce the return of international flights at Damascus airport after 13 years of its suspension, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Passengers wear adopted flags by the new Syrian rulers at the arrival terminal of Damascus airport, as Qatar Airways becomes the first international airline to announce the return of international flights at Damascus airport after 13 years of its suspension, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)

Foreign ministers from Italy, France, Germany, Britain and the United States will meet this week over the situation in Syria, Italy said Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will preside over the meeting Thursday with his European and US counterparts, the ministry wrote in a statement.

The US Department of State had announced Monday that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken would meet European counterparts, calling it an occasion "to advocate for a peaceful, inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition".

Opposition forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive last month after 13 years of brutal war, with Western powers cautiously hoping for greater stability in Syria.

Italy's foreign ministry said Tajani sought the meeting "to take stock of the situation in Syria one month after the fall of the Assad regime".

On the agenda is the work of Syria's transitional government and the challenges posed by an upcoming national dialogue conference, it said.

Also to be discussed are the drafting of a new constitution and Syria's economic recovery.

In Rome, Blinken will join US President Joe Biden as he pays a farewell visit to Italy's capital that includes an audience with Pope Francis.