US fighter aircraft shoots down Turkish drone in Syria

A Turkish drone that had gotten too close to American ground forces in Hasakah, Syria, was shot down by the American military on Thursday.

An official told the media that the drone had been flying “unsafely” and “out of sync.” As NATO partners, the U.S. and Turkish forces typically coordinate closely when performing air manoeuvres. Prior to making an announcement, the official discussed the situation under the condition of anonymity.

About 900 American soldiers are currently engaged in operations in Syria against militants from the Islamic State group.

Following a suicide attempt earlier this week outside Turkey’s interior ministry office, Turkey increased its airstrikes against Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan claimed that Turkish intelligence agencies had determined that the two attackers had travelled from Syria, where they had received training, during a press conference after the incident. He declared that Turkey would now target PKK- or its allied People’s Defence Units, or YPG, Kurdish militia group’s, facilities in Syria and Iraq.

(With agency inputs)