Current:Home > MarketsHelicopter "mishap" in Syria injures 22 U.S. service members, U.S. military says -AssetBase
Helicopter "mishap" in Syria injures 22 U.S. service members, U.S. military says
View
Date:2025-04-14 20:26:08
Beirut — A helicopter "mishap" in northeast Syria over the weekend left 22 United States service members injured, the U.S. military said Tuesday, adding that the cause of the accident was under investigation.
A statement from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said they were being treated and 15 were moved to "higher care facilities" outside the region. A Defense Department official said all were in stable condition.
It said "a helicopter mishap in northeastern Syria resulted in the injuries of various degrees of 22 U.S. service members" and Sunday's accident is under investigation "although no enemy fire was reported."
The Pentagon said the MH-47 Chinook helicopter had a mechanical failure while landing at a staging base.
A spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces didn't immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.
There are at least 900 U.S. forces in Syria on average, along with an undisclosed number of contractors. U.S. special operations forces also move in and out of the country but are usually in small teams and aren't included in the official count.
U.S. forces have been in Syria since 2015 to advise and assist the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against ISIS. Since its defeat in Syria in March 2019, U.S. troops have been trying to prevent any comeback by ISIS, which swept through Iraq and Syria in 2014, taking control of large swaths of territory.
However, ISIS sleeper cells remain a threat. There are also about 10,000 ISIS fighters being held in detention facilities in Syria and tens of thousands of their family members living in two refugee camps in the country's northeast.
Over the past years, U.S. troops have been subjected to attacks carried out by ISIS members and Iran-backed fighters there. In late March, a drone attack on a U.S. base killed a contractor and wounded five American troops and another contractor. In retaliation, U.S. fighter jets struck several locations around the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, which borders Iraq.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 19 people were killed in the U.S. strikes, Agence France-Presse reports.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the time that the strikes were a response to the drone attack as well as a series of recent attacks against U.S.-led coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
In a related development, Syrian Kurdish-led authorities announced Saturday that hundreds of ISIS fighters held in prisons around the region will be put on trial after their home countries refused to repatriate them.
----------
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story cited CENTCOM as saying 10 service members were moved to care facilities outside the region. The Pentagon later amended that number and added some details about the incident. Those changes are reflected in the story above.
- In:
- Syria
veryGood! (93563)
Related
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- 'Vanderpump' star Ariana Madix sees 'Chicago' musical break record after Broadway debut
- Parents pay grown-up kids' bills with retirement savings
- Bob Beckwith, FDNY firefighter in iconic 9/11 photo with President George W. Bush, dies at 91
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Tesla, Toyota, PACCAR among nearly 2.4 million vehicles recalled: Check car recalls here
- When is Super Bowl halftime show? Here's when you should expect to tune in to watch Usher
- Senate border bill would upend US asylum with emergency limits and fast-track reviews
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Jam Master Jay dabbled in drug sales ‘to make ends meet,’ witness testifies
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Fake robocalls. Doctored videos. Why Facebook is being urged to fix its election problem.
- In case over Trump's ballot eligibility, concerned voters make their own pitches to Supreme Court
- NLRB says Dartmouth basketball players are school employees, setting stage for union vote
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- 'Abbott Elementary' Season 3: Cast, release date, where to watch the 'supersized' premiere
- A new purple tomato is available to gardeners. Its color comes from snapdragon DNA
- Amazon’s The Drop Honors Black Creators With Chic Size-Inclusive Collections Ranging From XXS to 5X
Recommendation
The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
Man with samurai sword making threats arrested in Walmart, police say
‘Beer For My Horses’ singer-songwriter Toby Keith has died after battling stomach cancer
Lionel Messi speaks in Tokyo: Inter Miami star explains injury, failed Hong Kong match
Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
Shane Gillis was fired from 'Saturday Night Live' for racist jokes. Now he's hosting.
White House renews calls on Congress to extend internet subsidy program
Conservative Nebraska lawmakers push bills that would intertwine religion with public education