US military says helicopter accident in northeastern Syria left 22 American troops injured

The U.S. military confirmed that a helicopter mishap in northeastern Syria over the weekend led to the injuries of 22 American service members. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation, with no reported enemy involvement. Treatment is underway for the wounded, with ten relocated to specialized medical facilities outside the region.

The U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces have yet to comment on the incident upon request from Big Big News.

The region is host to an average of 900 U.S. personnel, along with an undisclosed number of contractors. U.S. special operations forces also intermittently traverse the area in small units, but these are not included in the official tally.

U.S. forces have been stationed in Syria since 2015, supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces in their fight against the Islamic State (IS) group. With the militant group’s defeat in Syria in March 2019, the U.S. has been working to prevent an IS resurgence. IS, which once controlled vast territories in Iraq and Syria, remains a latent threat through its sleeper cells.

Nearly 10,000 IS militants are detained in Syria, while tens of thousands of their families reside in two refugee camps in the country’s northeastern region.

U.S. forces have faced attacks from IS members and Iran-backed combatants over the years. A late March drone attack resulted in the death of a contractor and wounded five American service members and another contractor. The U.S. retaliated with airstrikes on several areas in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, bordering Iraq.

Following these incidents, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the strikes were not just in response to the drone attack but also addressed a series of recent assaults on U.S.-led coalition forces by groups linked with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

In a recent development, Syrian Kurdish-led authorities declared their intention to try hundreds of IS detainees after their home countries declined their repatriation.

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More about Helicopter accident in Syria

• U.S. Military involvement in Syria
• U.S. Support for Syrian Democratic Forces
• The fight against the Islamic State
• Drone attacks on U.S. forces in Syria
• U.S. retaliation strikes in Syria
• Trial of IS fighters in Syria