Russia on Thursday accused the United States of an exciting confrontation in Syria in which Russian military vehicles and helicopters overturned American armored vehicles, injuring American troops.
The White House National Security Council said in a statement that a Russian car struck a U.S. mine-resistant off-road vehicle, “causing injuries to the car’s crew.”
The Russian Defense Ministry has released a statement saying it had warned the US-led coalition in advance that a column of its military police would go through.
“Despite this, in violation of existing agreements, U.S. troops attempted to block the Russian patrol,” it said, adding that Russian military police took “necessary measures” to end the incident and carry out their mission.
Russian General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov gave a “full explanation” in a phone call to General Mark Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Moscow said.
Videos shared on Twitter, apparently filmed by bystanders and the Russians themselves, appear to show Russian troopers and attack helicopters trying to box the American cars in and then force them out of the area, near Dayrick.
Vehicles seem to bulge and at one point – possibly at the beginning of the confrontation – one of the helicopters hovers very low over the stopped Americans, blowing them up with prop washes.
There were no details available from the White House National Security Council as the Pentagon on how many crew were injured and what the extent of the injuries was.
National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said the American vehicles were a security patron of the anti-ISIL (ISIS) coalition. He said the patrol left the area to de-escalate the situation.
“Unsafe and unprofessional actions such as these represent a violation of de-conflict protocols, committed to the United States and Russia in December 2019,” Ullyot said.
“The coalition and the United States do not seek escalation with national military forces, but American troops always retain the inherent right and obligation to defend themselves against hostile acts.”
American and Russian troops often interact in Syria, but confrontations are rare.
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