SYRIA has criticised an aerial “aggression” by the US-led coalition on a government military position near its border with Jordan, which killed several soldiers.
The air strike was the first such close confrontation between US forces and fighters supporting President Bashar al-Assad — a development that is likely to increase tensions in the war-torn country.
A Syrian military official confirmed the strike on state television yesterday, the day after it happened.
The coalition said on Thursday the strike hit pro-Syrian government forces which “posed a threat” to US troops and allied rebels operating near the Jordanian border.
It came at a time when the US presence in Syria is becoming more visible, mostly in northern parts of the country where American troops are backing Kurdish-led forces fighting Daesh.
This “flagrant aggression launched by the international coalition exposes the falsity of its allegation about fighting terrorism and undoubtedly demonstrates the reality of the Zionist-American project in the region”, said the Syrian official.
In Geneva, Bashar al-Ja’afari, head of the Syrian delegation to peace talks in the Swiss city, told reporters he discussed the attack during a meeting with UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura, describing it as “state terrorism”.
“In every meeting we remind the attendees that there is terrorism by terrorists and also terrorism by states committed against our country,” said al-Ja’afari, referring not only to Thursday’s strike but also to others carried out by the coalition in recent months that have killed civilians in areas held by Daesh.
The Syrian government, which has launched an offensive in the south of the country, backed by allied militias such as Iranian paramilitaries and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, has vowed to reach the border area with Iraq.
That is likely to be opposed by the US and its allies who back rebels fighting Daesh in the same area. A road between Iraq and Syria would facilitate the flow of assistance from Iran, which is a strong backer of Assad.
The developments came as Donald Trump was embarking on his maiden international trip as president, including the Middle East, boarding Air Force One in the wake of considerable domestic turbulence.
He has tried in vain to put behind him investigations into his campaign and his turbulent first four months in office. Amid claims about his campaign’s relations with Russia and whether he tried to stop an FBI probe into the issue, Trump claimed to be the most hounded president in history.
Asked if he had done anything that might merit prosecution or even impeachment, he said “no” and then added of the lingering allegations and questions: “I think it’s totally ridiculous. Everybody thinks so.”
As he tries to calm allies worried about his “America First” message, he will be followed by fallout from his firing of FBI chief James Comey and the appointment of a special counsel to probe the campaign ties with Russia.
Trump must try to urge a united front against terror by appealing to some of the same parts of the Muslim world he has tried to keep out of the US with his travel ban. Last week, he added new layers of complication by disclosing classified intelligence to a long-time adversary, Russia.
White House officials had hoped the trip, wrapped in the pomp of diplomatic protocol, could offer a reboot after a tumultuous first four months in office. The agenda is laden with religious symbolism — he will visit the birthplace of Islam, the Jewish homeland and the Vatican. Officials say the message is “unity”, but each comes with high stakes.
In Saudi Arabia, Trump — whose campaign was marked by anti-Muslim rhetoric and whose administration has tried to enact a travel ban from several Muslim-majority countries — will deliver a speech to the Islamic world.
In Israel, he will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, looking to smooth over fresh tensions after Israel uproar when US officials confirmed that Trump shared classified intelligence about Daesh with senior Russian officials which came from Israel, raising concerns a valuable Israeli asset could be in danger.
National Security Adviser HR McMaster added to alarm by refusing to declare the Western Wall — the holiest site where Jews can pray — part of Israel. US policy holds its ownership, as with the rest of Jerusalem, is subject to Israeli-Palestinian negotiation.
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