US shoots down its own ally’s drone: reports
The U.S. military reportedly shot down a Turkish drone in Syria on Thursday that was considered a potential threat after it came too close to U.S. military personnel.
The drone was found to be operating too close to U.S. troops on the ground in Hasakah, Syria, a U.S. official told the Associated Press. The official, who spoke to the AP anonymously, said the drone was flying “unsafely” and “unsynchronized.”
The AP noted: “Typically, U.S. and Turkish forces, which are NATO allies, work closely together to conduct air exercises.”
A Turkish Defense Ministry official said the drone involved in the incident did not belong to the Turkish armed forces, Reuters reported.
Newsweek the U.S. Department of Defense emailed for comment.
Photo by GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP via Getty Images
Two anonymous U.S. officials told Reuters that the U.S. had warned Turkish military officials “multiple times” that the drone was too close to their personnel. The unnamed US officials said an American F-16 fighter jet was responsible for shooting down the drone.
One of the officials told Reuters: “The Turkish drone was believed to be armed.”
This is a breaking story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
