Twenty-two American soldiers were injured in a helicopter crash in northeastern Syria, the military said on Monday. It said it was investigating the cause of the incident, which it called a mishap, and added that no enemy fire had been reported.
The military’s Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, said in a brief statement posted on Twitter that the soldiers had suffered “various degrees of trauma”. Ten of them were evacuated to hospitals outside the area for treatment, according to the statement, which said the crash happened on Sunday. Central Command officials did not immediately provide additional information.
Hundreds of US troops and contractors are stationed in Syria. The military works with Kurdish fighters to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State militant group, which was ostensibly defeated as a self-proclaimed caliphate in 2019, after five years of decline. throughout Iraq and Syria.
MarchOne US contractor was killed and six other Americans injured when Iran-backed militias launched a series of missile and drone attacks on coalition bases.
Eric Schmitt contribution report.
