At least 10 U.S. military personnel have been medically evacuated while 12 others continue to receive treatment in the U.S. Central Command region after they were injured in a “helicopter mishap” in northeast Syria, officials said late Monday.
In a brief statement, officials said the incident occurred on Sunday and resulted in “injuries of various degrees” to 22 American troops.
“The cause of the incident is under investigation, although no enemy fire was reported,” Central Command said.
American troops have been in Syria since 2015 as part of a U.S. counterterrorism mission aimed at preventing the resurgence of the Islamic State terror group and to counter Iranian-backed militias. About 900 U.S. military personnel and contractors are involved in the mission.
Attacks on U.S. personnel in Syria are rare but not unheard of. In March 2023, groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps were believed responsible for an attack that killed a U.S. contractor and wounded seven other Americans.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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