US Says Failed Rocket Attack Targeted American Troops in Syria

US soldiers are seen during a joint military exercise between US-led forces and members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on September 7, 2022. (AFP)
US soldiers are seen during a joint military exercise between US-led forces and members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on September 7, 2022. (AFP)
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US Says Failed Rocket Attack Targeted American Troops in Syria

US soldiers are seen during a joint military exercise between US-led forces and members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on September 7, 2022. (AFP)
US soldiers are seen during a joint military exercise between US-led forces and members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on September 7, 2022. (AFP)

The US military said late on Saturday that unidentified forces fired a rocket at a compound in Syria hosting US troops and partnered local forces, but failed to cause any injuries or damage.

The military, in a short statement, said the 107 mm rocket failed to impact anything inside the Rumalyn Landing Zone US compound in northeast Syria.

"Additional rockets were found at the launch site," said the US military's Central Command, which oversees US troops in the Middle East.

Central Command did not say who it believed might be responsible for the failed attack.

It came just two days after a rare US helicopter raid on a government-held village in Syria's northeast killed an ISIS militant on Thursday, followed hours later by a separate US air strike later that killed two other militants.

US forces first deployed into Syria during the Obama administration's campaign against ISIS, partnering with a Kurdish-led group called the Syrian Democratic Forces. There are about 900 US troops in Syria, most of them in the east.

Still, Washington has blamed Iran-backed militias for attacks on American troops in recent months. Those Iran-backed forces established a foothold in Syria while fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad during Syria's war.



Türkiye's Erdogan Discusses Syria Situation with Putin by Phone, Ankara Says

 Syrian opposition fighters ride on motorcycles through abandoned Syrian army vehicles on a road in the outskirts of Hama, Syria, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024.(AP)
Syrian opposition fighters ride on motorcycles through abandoned Syrian army vehicles on a road in the outskirts of Hama, Syria, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024.(AP)
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Türkiye's Erdogan Discusses Syria Situation with Putin by Phone, Ankara Says

 Syrian opposition fighters ride on motorcycles through abandoned Syrian army vehicles on a road in the outskirts of Hama, Syria, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024.(AP)
Syrian opposition fighters ride on motorcycles through abandoned Syrian army vehicles on a road in the outskirts of Hama, Syria, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024.(AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the renewed outbreak of conflict in Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone, Erdogan's office said in a post on X on Tuesday.

Erdogan and Putin spoke as Syrian opposition forces advancing against government troops pushed close on Tuesday to the major city of Hama, fighters and a war monitor said, after their sudden capture of Aleppo last week rocked President Bashar al-Assad.

Erdogan told Putin that Türkiye supports Syria's territorial integrity and strives for a just and lasting solution in Syria, the statement said.

"President Erdogan highlighted the importance of making more room for diplomacy in the region, and underscored that the Syrian regime should engage in the political solution process," it said. Erdogan also said that Syria should not become a source of greater instability.

"Erdogan stated that Türkiye will continue to maintain its determined stance on the fight against the terrorist organization PKK and its extensions who are trying to take advantage of the recent developments in Syria," the statement said.