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.



Blinken Speaks to Israel’s Dermer about Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

 A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
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Blinken Speaks to Israel’s Dermer about Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

 A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
A man sits on rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli strike at the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on November 12, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza in a meeting with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Washington on Monday, the State Department said.

Dermer updated Blinken on operational changes and policy decisions taken by Israel in response to a US letter sent in October, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Blinken "emphasized the importance of ensuring those changes lead to an actual improvement in the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, including through the delivery of additional assistance to civilians throughout Gaza," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the statement.