The US military said in a statement that Friday’s encounter lasted for about two hours during which three MQ-9 drones were ‘once again harassed’ by Russian fighter aircraft while flying over Syria.
Russian fighter jets have “harassed” American drones over Syria for the third day in a row this week, the US military said.
Tension between Russian and US troops is not uncommon in Syria as both countries conduct patrols on the ground as well as overflights. Syria’s 12-year conflict has left half a million people dead and more than 1 million wounded.
The US military said in a statement that Friday’s encounter lasted for about two hours during which three MQ-9 drones were “once again harassed” by Russian fighter aircraft while flying over Syria.
“Russian aircraft flew 18 unprofessional close passes that caused the MQ-9s to react to avoid unsafe situations,” Lieutenant General Alex Grynkewich, head of US Air Forces Central Command, said in a statement.
Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, head of the Russian Reconciliation Centre for Syria, said earlier this week that the Russian and Syrian militaries have started a six-day joint training that ends on Monday.
