Russian jets harass American drones in Syria for second time in 24 hours: US

For the second time in less than 24 hours, Russian aircraft harassed American drones participating in operations against the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria on Thursday, said a US commander.

In a statement Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich said,” Moscow’s “military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior Thursday, 9:30 am local time, while interacting with US MQ-9 drones.

The planes “dropped flares in front of the drones and flew dangerously close, endangering the safety of all aircraft involved,” he added.

The previous day, Grynkewich said Russian jets also dropped flares in front of US MQ-9s, while one pilot turned on their plane’s afterburner in front of a drone.

Earlier this year, the United States said a Russian jet clipped the propeller of a drone operating over the Black Sea, causing it to crash. Moscow denied it was responsible.

With inputs from agencies