Pentagon Describes Russia's Actions in Syria as 'Provocative'

Russian forces in Palmyra, east of Homs (AFP)
Russian forces in Palmyra, east of Homs (AFP)
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Pentagon Describes Russia's Actions in Syria as 'Provocative'

Russian forces in Palmyra, east of Homs (AFP)
Russian forces in Palmyra, east of Homs (AFP)

US military officials have expressed concern about the increased risk of confrontation between US and Russian forces in Syria.

The commander of US Central Command (Centcom), General Erik Kurilla, said in a statement that his regional forces seek to avoid any miscalculated steps that would lead to unnecessary conflict.

"We seek to avoid miscalculation or a set of actions that could lead to unnecessary conflict: that remains our goal," Kurilla said in a statement.

He described Russia's recent actions as "provocative and escalatory," referring to the recent raid on al-Tanf.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Pentagon officials as saying there were fears of a clash with the Russians, accusing the Russian forces of "significant increase in the provocation" this month.

A US military official said that Russia launched a raid on sites in al-Tanf region last Wednesday, near the US base, which manages a mission to train and advise local fighters to combat the resurgence of ISIS.

After Russia informed the US through a communications line that it was carrying out the operation in response to a supposed attack against Syrian government forces, its military aircraft struck "a combat outpost at the garrison," a US military official said.

The official explained that two Russian Su-35 and Su-24 aircraft hit a military site, and although the raid did not target US forces, officials expressed concern that the attack constituted a challenge to the mission of US forces in Syria.

The newspaper reported that Russia sent two Su-34 warplanes to the area where the US forces conducted a raid in northeastern Syria to "apprehend an ISIS bomb maker." However, it quickly withdrew them after US F-16 fighters headed to the area.

US officials also discussed other incidents in the past two weeks without revealing their details.

About 200 US soldiers are stationed at al-Tanf base, out of the 900 soldiers deployed in northeastern Syria.

Russia withdrew several of its forces and military equipment from Syria after it invaded Ukraine, and experts warn of the "vacuum" that Iran could exploit to replace it.

Russia has escalated its interventions in locations close to the deployment of US forces to ensure that it can still carry out military operations in more than one place at the same time.

In 2016, Russian warplanes bombed al-Tanf base after two US Navy F-18 planes on patrol in the area left to refuel. The base was empty of US forces at the time and several Syrian fighters were killed, whom Russia described as terrorists.

In 2017, Russia issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the US to withdraw its personnel from the base, but Washington refused, and nothing happened.

However, the most dangerous incident between the Russian and the US forces was in 2018, after fighters of the Russian "Wagner" group advanced to eastern Syria and fired at the US forces.

They ignored the warnings of the US army, which asked them to leave. US troops then launched an attack against Russian forces, killing "a few hundred," according to former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The Russian military announced that it had nothing to do with the incident.



Rescuers Say Israeli Strike Killed at Least 12 People in South Gaza 

Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced people at the Gaza seaport, in Gaza City, June 4, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced people at the Gaza seaport, in Gaza City, June 4, 2025. (Reuters)
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Rescuers Say Israeli Strike Killed at Least 12 People in South Gaza 

Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced people at the Gaza seaport, in Gaza City, June 4, 2025. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced people at the Gaza seaport, in Gaza City, June 4, 2025. (Reuters)

The civil defense agency in Gaza said an Israeli strike on a tent housing displaced Palestinians near the southern city of Khan Younis on Wednesday killed at least 12 people.  

"At least 12 people were killed, including several children and women, in a strike by an Israeli drone this morning on a tent for displaced persons" near Khan Younis, the agency's spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP, adding that four more people had been killed in other strikes.  

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.  

Since a truce collapsed in March, Israel has intensified its operations to destroy Hamas, the Palestinian group whose October 7, 2023 attack triggered the war in Gaza. 

Hamas's unprecedented attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. 

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 4,240 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,510, mostly civilians.