U.S. officials have confirmed that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) accidentally shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone in northern Syria.
The SDF, primarily composed of Kurdish self-defense units, is a key U.S. partner in the fight against ISIS in Syria. The downing of the MQ-9 appears to have been a case of mistaken identification. The group is engaged in a conflict with the Syrian National Army for control in northern Syria, an area where Turkish drones have also been active against the SDF.
“The incident occurred due to friendly fire from partner forces operating in the region, who mistakenly identified the drone as a threat,” said a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense. He added that the drone was conducting a mission as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against the Islamic State group.
The first report of the downing of the American MQ-9 drone came from CNN. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed the incident but did not specify who was responsible for it.
Images that surfaced on social media last week appear to show the damaged MQ-9 drone in northern Syria. According to a spokesperson from the Department of Defense, the drone was later intentionally destroyed. “U.S. forces recovered the relevant components and destroyed the remaining parts of the drone,” officials said. “U.S. Air Force Central Command will assess the actions that led to the incident and adjust tactics, techniques, and procedures to protect U.S., coalition, and partner forces, as well as associated assets.”
The conflict in Syria is complex, involving multiple parties. While the U.S. and Turkey are NATO allies, Turkey has viewed the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as an adversary. In October 2023, a U.S. F-16 shot down a Turkish drone that was attempting to target SDF forces near U.S. troops. In recent days, the U.S. has urged Turkey to avoid further conflict following the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria on December 8.
On December 9, the Syrian Democratic Forces and Turkey-backed rebels, with U.S. mediation, agreed to a ceasefire.
Source: airandspaceforces
