0
0
Washington, DC – A recent incident involving a helicopter mishap in northeastern Syria resulted in 22 service members getting injured, as reported by the Pentagon. The accident, which took place over the weekend, happened shortly after takeoff.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh informed reporters on Tuesday that the mishap was caused by a problem with one of the rotors on an MH-47 Chinook, leading to a hard landing. Ten of the injured service members were swiftly airlifted out of the country for medical treatment. Singh assured that “all of the service members involved in the crash are in stable condition,” though she did not provide more information about the nature of their injuries.
These injured soldiers were revealed to be part of the Army’s highly classified Delta Force commando unit, which is known for conducting kill-or-capture operations against Islamic State militants in the region, according to three senior military officials who requested anonymity.
The U.S. has consistently maintained a military presence in Syria since 2015, aiding and assisting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their battle against the Islamic State terrorist group (ISIS). Currently, there are at least 900 U.S. service members stationed in Syria, despite the reduction in forces following ISIS’ expulsion from cities in Syria and Iraq.
On June 6, Central Command disclosed that U.S. forces had executed 17 partnered operations, captured 20 ISIS operatives, and eliminated two ISIS operatives in May. Furthermore, they had claimed credit for a drone strike that supposedly killed a senior al-Qaida leader in northwest Syria. This claim, however, was later retracted after reporting by The Washington Post.
Central Command confirmed that “no enemy fire was reported” at the time of the helicopter incident, and an investigation is now in progress to ascertain the cause of the accident. Notably, the 10 most seriously injured soldiers have been transported to an American medical hospital in Germany, with none of their injuries being life-threatening, as per the three officials.
Currently, over 900 U.S. troops and several hundred contractors are stationed in Syria. Their mission is to work alongside Kurdish fighters to inhibit the resurgence of the Islamic State. It’s worth noting that this terrorist organization was officially defeated as a self-declared caliphate in 2019, following five years of destructive activities across Iraq and Syria.
As the inquiry into the helicopter mishap continues, the safety and operations of the U.S. troops in the region remain a primary concern, particularly in light of recent attacks against coalition bases by Iranian-backed militias, which resulted in the death of a U.S. contractor and injuries to at least six other Americans back in March.
Source: Dept. of Defense
