WASHINGTON: US troops near the northern Syrian border came under artilleryfire from Turkish positions on Friday, a Pentagon spokesman said, warningthat the US was prepared to meet aggression with “immediate defensiveaction.”
The US military confirmed an explosion around 9.00pm (1800 GMT) within afew hundred meters of its post near the town of Kobani, in an area “knownby the Turks to have US forces present.”
“All US troops are accounted for with no injuries. US forces have notwithdrawn from Kobani,” Navy captain Brook DeWalt said in a statement.
US President Donald Trump has faced a firestorm of criticism for appearingto greenlight Turkey´s offensive into northeastern Syria, which began afterTrump ordered US troops to pull back from the border.
Turkey is targeting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a keyUS ally in the five-year battle to crush the Islamic State group. The SDFlost 11,000 fighters in the US-led campaign.
Read Top Stories
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said earlier Friday Trump had authorized– but not yet activated — “very significant new sanctions” to dissuadeTurkey from further offensive military action.
“The United States remains opposed to the Turkish military move into Syriaand especially objects to Turkish operations outside the security mechanismzone and in areas where the Turks know US forces are present,” DeWalt added.
“The US demands that Turkey avoid actions that could result in immediatedefensive action.” -APP/AFP
