Let it begin

[Ironcitysteelers]

***** about to get interesting



https://news.google.com/news/amp?ca...over-northern-syria-pentagon-says/#pt0-528833


A U.S. strike aircraft shot down a Syrian government fighter jet Sunday shortly after the Syrians bombed U.S.-backed fighters in northern Syria, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The Pentagon said the downing of the aircraft came hours after Syrian loyalist forces attacked U.S.-backed fighters, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, in the village of Ja’Din, southwest of Raqqa. The rare attack was the first time a U.S. jet has shot down a manned hostile aircraft in more than a decade, and signaled the United States’ sharply intensifying role in Syria’s war.

 

[Ironcitysteelers]

Oops. Sorry please move mods

 

[Ironcitysteelers]

Asked to respond to the shootdown of a Syrian fighter jet over Syria, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the United States will protect its interests in Syria and will "do what we can" to keep open lines of communication with Russia and Syria.

"And so we've gotta do what we can to work with partners and we're going to continue to keep an open line of communication with the Russians," Spicer said at an off-camera press briefing Monday.


Spicer added that the U.S. wants to de-escalate the situation in Syria "but will always preserve the right of self-defense."

"The escalation of hostilities among all of the factions that are operating there doesn't help anybody," said Spicer. "And so making sure that people understand while we want to de-escalate the situation there, that we have to understand that we will always preserve the right of self-defense."

The Russian Defense Ministry earlier blasted the U.S.'s action as a "massive violation of international law" and said it will begin treating U.S.-led coalition jets flying west of the Euphrates River in Syria as targets.

The ministry's comments Monday came after a U.S. Navy fighter jet on Sunday shot down a Syrian fighter jet that dropped bombs on rebel forces fighting ISIS in Syria.

 

[Ironcitysteelers]

Keep sticking our head in deeper. Soon BAlls deep!

US forces in southern Syria have shot down an Iranian-made armed drone in the second such incident in 12 days, in a further sign that Washington and Tehran’s agendas are colliding along the Syrian-Iraqi desert frontier.

A US F-15 fighter jet opened fire on the drone in the early afternoon because it was approaching a US outpost near al-Tanf where US advisors were training an anti-Isis local militia, according to the Pentagon spokesman, Capt Jeff Davis.

“The F15 intercepted the armed UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] after it was observed advancing on coalition positions. It had ‘dirty wings’, meaning it was loaded with ordnance. The UAV did not make an attempt to divert,” Davis said.

Al-Tanf is a strategic point near the Syrian, Iraq and Jordanian borders. In a similar incident on 8 June, an Iranian-made drone of the same kind dropped a bomb near US troops at the same training outpost before it was shot down by a US plane.

‘The war after Isis’: has Trump opened the door to conflict with Iran?

“We have said before that demonstrated hostile intent and actions of pro-regime forces towards coalition partner forces in Syria that are conducting legitimate counter-Isis operations in Syria, will not be tolerated,” Davis said. “We do not seek conflict with any party in Syria other than Isis but we will not hesitate to defend ourselves or our partners if necessary.”