US soldiers injured in helicopter 'mishap' in Syria
June 13, 2023
The US military on Tuesday confirmed a helicopter "mishap" in northeastern Syria over the weekend that left 22 US soldiers injured.
"The service members are receiving treatment for their injuries and 10 have been evacuated to higher care facilities," US Central Command said.
CENTCOM, responsible for overseeing US troops in the Middle East, said the cause of the incident is under investigation, "although no enemy fire was reported."
US presence in Syria
Approximately 900 US personnel and an undisclosed number of contractors are deployed in Syria.
They are based primarily in the east as part of the ongoing mission to combat the remnants of the Islamic State (IS).
While the Islamic State's influence has significantly diminished since its caliphate declaration in 2014, pockets of fighters remain in remote areas beyond the full control of the US-led coalition, Syrian army, and their respective allies, including Russia and Iranian-backed militias.
US Army grounds helicopters after fatal crashes
The incident in Syria follows several incidents with US military helicopters over the past few months.
In April, the US Army had temporarily grounded its aviators after three soldiers had died after two helicopters collided and crashed during a training mission in Alaska.
In the month prior to the grounding, 12 soldiers had died in four helicopter crashes.
Declaring the safety of its aviators as "top priority", the US Army had recommended special training for all active units.
ss/lo (dpa, Reuters, AP)