U.S. troops stationed in eastern Syria were attacked Monday morning, officials said, and did not report any casualties.
Officials said U.S. troops in addition to Syrian Democratic forces were conducting a routine anti-ISIS security patrol at Tal Al-Zahab when they encountered a checkpoint occupied by pro-Syrian government forces.
“After receiving safe passage from the pro-regime forces, the patrol came under firearms from small arms of individuals near the checkpoint,” said Colonel Myles B. Caggins III, spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, in a statement. “Coalition troops returned fire in self-defense. The coalition did not carry out an air strike. There were no coalition casualties.”
Caggins said the incident remains under investigation. He did not provide information regarding casualties or injuries to the attackers.
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The dustup comes amid reports that a U.S. helicopter gun has attacked a Syrian army checkpoint in the northeast of the country, killing one soldier and wounding two others.
Syrian state media and an opposition war monitoring group said the attack came after the Syrian army prevented an American convoy from continuing. Syrian state TV said the helicopter attack took place in the village of Tal Dahab, near the city of Qamishli.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights did not give a breakdown of the victims, but said that before the strike an argument broke out between the Syrian and American troops.
It was not immediately clear if these were the same incidents.
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Tensions have risen in recent months in northeastern Syria between government forces and U.S. troops. In several instances, Syrian troops have prevented US troops from entering various areas of the region.
Hundreds of US troops are stationed in northeastern Syria, working together with their local partners of the Kurdish-leading Syrian Democratic Forces to fight against the Islamic State group.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
