BEIRUT — Syrian state-run media on Thursday confirmed a rare U.S. strike on government-backed troops in eastern Syria, citing reports of dozens killed and wounded from the attack.

The overnight attack, which a U.S. military official earlier said killed about 100, adds another layer to a conflict in Syria that is once again plunging into a new unpredictable spiral of violence.

The U.S. official said the U.S. launched the airstrikes after as many as 500 attackers began what appeared to be a co-ordinated assault on U.S.-backed forces known as the Syrian Democratic Forces who were accompanied by U.S. advisers in Deir el-Zour province.

The official said the strikes were in self-defence after the pro-government forces began firing artillery and tank rounds at the SDF. About 100 of the attackers were killed, the official said.

It was a rare U.S. strike against forces that support Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime.

Syria’s state media said the U.S.-led coalition bombed government-backed troops in Khusham, a town in the oil-rich Deir el-Zour province, describing them as tribal fighters. The media cited reports of dozens killed and wounded.

The official state news agency SANA said the local fighters were battling Islamic State militants and the U.S.-backed SDF in the area.

SANA labeled it an “aggression” and a “new massacre.”

The U.S.-led coalition said in a statement said the attack took place eight kilometres east of the Euphrates River de-confliction line. The United States and Russia, which back rival forces in the oil-rich Deir el-Zour province, have kept close contacts to avoid friction.

The statement suggested the coalition was calling out Russia on the assault, but it stopped short of actually laying the blame.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria, said Deir el-Zour province continues to witness tensions following the foiled attack and the U.S. response, and said there were reports of new mobilization to the area.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of activists on the ground, said the Khusham area, near one of the province’s largest oil fields, saw intense clashes with heavy weaponry late Wednesday between pro-government forces and the SDF. The Observatory said the clashes prompted the coalition response with land-to-land missiles and airstrikes. It said at least 45 pro-government fighters, which included Arab and Asian fighers, were killed.

Last summer, the U.S.-led coalition shot down Iranian-made armed drones and aircraft affiliated with the Syrian government in southern Syria, after they came dangerously close to U.S-backed forces and advisers.

The U.S. airstrike coincides with escalating violence in Syria, where Turkey has been carrying out a military offensive to clear a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia from in a northwestern border town, increasing tensions between the U.S. and its NATO ally Turkey.
• As Syria sees one of the bloodiest periods of its war, UN calls for immediate cease-fire: ‘The war is far from over’
• ‘They will pay for this’: At least seven Turkish soldiers die in new Syrian offensive
• Downed Russian pilot blows himself up rather than be captured by Syrian rebels

Meanwhile, Turkish officials said the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran will meet in Istanbul to discuss peace efforts for Syria.

The officials said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to the summit during a telephone call on Thursday. It was not immediately clear when the Istanbul meeting would take place.

The Turkish officials said two leaders also agreed that efforts to create “observation posts” in Syria’s Idlib province as part of a “de-escalation” agreement between Turkey, Russia and Iran should gain momentum.

They discussed the humanitarian situation in the Ghouta region just east of Damascus, where dozens have been killed in aerial strikes in the past few days.

The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.

— Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report</s>Syria has accused the US-led coalition of "war crimes" after air raids in oil-rich Deir Az Zor province targeted its fighters.

A US official told Reuters news agency on Thursday that more than 100 pro-government fighters were killed in the overnight raids.

The US said they had responded to an "unprovoked attack" against the Washington-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but did not give any details on casualties.

A Pentagon spokesperson told reporters that the SDF had "acted in self-defence with support" from the US-led coalition.

"Pro-regime forces initiated what appeared to be a coordinated attack on Syrian Democratic Forces east of the Euphrates river deconfliction line," Dana White said.

"Syrian Democratic Forces supported by the coalition targeted the aggressors with a combination of air and artillery strikes," she added.

Syrian news agency SANA disputed the US account and said that the US-led coalition had "attacked popular forces that were fighting" armed groups such as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

The Syrian government described the air raids as a "a new aggression that poses a war crime and a crime against humanity".

It called on the UN Security Council to condemn the "massacre", according to state news agency SANA.

Russia, an ally of Assad, said the goal of the US military presence in Syria is "aimed at taking control fo the country's economic assets and not at fighting against [ISIL]", Russian news agency TASS reported.

The SDF is a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters led by the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG).

"The area in which the attack took place is significant not just because it's one of the places known to have oil within Syria, but more importantly because who controls it on the ground is the Syrian Democratic Forces," Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Gaziantep, on the Turkish side of the Syria-Turkey border, said.

"Washington depended heavily upon them in the fight against ISIL over the years and now find themselves in a situation where it's pegged against Turkey and others who accuse this militia of essentially being just as bad as ISIL themselves.

The air raids coincided with escalating violence elsewhere in Syria.

More than 200 people were killed in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta and in Idlib, while Turkey continues a military offensive to clear the YPG from the northwestern border town of Afrin.</s>Syrian state-run media said today a rare US strike on government-backed troops in eastern Syria killed and wounded dozens of tribal fighters, calling it a new effort "to support terrorism."

The US-led coalition said its action was in "self-defense," citing a major attack on its allied forces and US advisers in Deir el-Zour province by at least 500 fighters, battle tanks, howitzers and mortars.

The overnight attack, which a U.S. military official earlier said killed about 100 of the attackers, added another layer to the Syrian conflict that is once again plunging into a new and unpredictable spiral of violence.

The attack in Deir el-Zour province in northeastern Syria occurred in crowded battle space. A stronghold of Islamic State militants until late last year, the province also was the group's main source of oil revenue.

US-backed Kurdish-led forces have been fighting for control of Deir el-Zour with rival Russian-backed Syrian troops that are reinforced by Iranian-supported militias.

The US-backed forces control areas east of the Euphrates River and most of the oil and gas fields, while government forces are based in the west. Previous friction was reported before, but yesterday's incident appeared to be the largest since last year.</s>WASHINGTON DC, USA – The US-led anti-jihadist coalition carried out strikes in "self-defense" against forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, leaving an estimated more than 100 pro-regime personnel dead, the US military said Wednesday, February 7.

The strikes were to counter an "unprovoked attack against well-established Syrian Democratic Forces headquarters," the US Central Command said, referring to the coalition's Syrian allies, who have played a major role in the war against the Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group.

"We estimate more than 100 Syrian pro-regime forces were killed while engaging SDF and coalition forces," while one SDF member was wounded, a US military official said.

According to CENTCOM, "coalition service members in an advise, assist, and accompany capacity were co-located with SDF partners during the attack."

"The coalition conducted strikes against attacking forces to repel the act of aggression," it said.

The US military official said the attack – which began on Wednesday – involved some 500 personnel from "pro-regime" forces armed with tanks, artillery and mortars.

The SDF and the coalition targeted the attacking forces with air and artillery strikes after "20 to 30 artillery and tank rounds landed within 500 meters (yards) of the SDF headquarters location," the official said.

The official did not specifically identify the attacking forces, which could have been Syrian or from one of a number of allied militia units, including from Iraq and Lebanon, that are backing Assad in the country's 7-year civil war.

Russia is carrying out strikes in support of Assad, who has received substantial support from Iran as well.

CENTCOM said the attack occurred 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of the "Euphrates River de-confliction line," referring to a boundary agreed to by Russia and the US, with the former's area of operations to the west of the river and the latter's to its east.

"Coalition officials were in regular communication with Russian counterparts before, during and after the thwarted" attack, the US military official said, adding that "Russian officials assured coalition officials they would not engage coalition forces in the vicinity."

The SDF – an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters – is working with coalition support to uproot the last IS jihadists from the east bank of the Euphrates, after capturing IS's main Syrian stronghold Raqa.

The main Kurdish component of the SDF, known as the YPG, or People's Protection Units, is the target of a military operation in northern Syria by US ally Turkey, which considers the YPG a "terrorist" group.

The attack on the SDF in eastern Syria could spell further trouble for the US-backed forces, which have largely avoided confrontation with pro-Assad units until now. – Rappler.com</s>WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - A U.S.-led coalition and its local allies in Syria struck pro-government forces with air and artillery fire overnight to repel “an unprovoked attack” near the Euphrates, the coalition said on Thursday.

The incident underscores the potential for further conflict in Syria’s oil-rich east, where the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias holds swathes of land after its offensive against Islamic State.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by Russia and by Shi‘ite militias backed by Iran, has said he wants to take back every inch of Syria.

The pro-government forces were “likely seeking to seize oilfields in Khusham” east of the Euphrates in Deir al-Zor province, said a U.S. official on condition of anonymity.

The attack was carried out by 500 troops backed by artillery, tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars but the coalition and its allies killed more than 100 of them, the official said.

Syrian state television reported that the coalition had caused “dozens of dead and wounded” by bombing pro-government forces. But a commander in the military alliance supporting Assad disputed the death toll, saying seven members of the pro-government forces were killed and 27 injured.

In a letter to the United Nations, Syria’s foreign ministry described the strike as a “war crime” and called for the coalition to be dismantled, Syrian state news agency SANA said. “We demand (that the international community) condemn this massacre and hold the coalition responsible for it.”

The U.S.-led coalition was set up in 2014 to battle Islamic State fighters in both Syria and Iraq, who were largely defeated last year. Some 2,000 U.S. forces remain on the ground in Syria, allied to the Kurdish-led SDF alliance, which holds the largest swathe of territory still outside the control of the government.

The Syrian civil war, now entering its eighth year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven more than 11 million from their homes, while drawing in regional countries and global powers supporting client factions on the ground.

For the most part, the U.S.-backed SDF and the government forces backed by Russia and Iran avoided direct confrontation while both were fighting the common Islamic State enemy. Moscow and Washington maintain contacts in eastern Syria to prevent unexpected confrontation between forces they support.

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White stressed the coalition strikes were purely defensive, as she explained the muscular coalition response at a news briefing. Washington was not seeking to fight Syrian forces, she said.

“We are not looking for a conflict with the regime,” White said.

Still, the incident underscored growing tensions in Syria amid reports of Syrian chemical weapons use elsewhere in the country.

The U.S. State Department on Thursday deplored the alleged use of chemical weapons and backed a call from the United Nations to put violence in Syria on pause for a month in order to deliver humanitarian aid and facilitate the evacuation of civilians. Russia said the proposal was a non-starter.

“That’s not realistic. We would like to see a ceasefire, the end of war in Syria, but the terrorists, I’m not sure they are in agreement,” said Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia of the proposed one-month ceasefire.

The coalition said the attack occurred around 8 km (5 miles) “east of the Euphrates River de-confliction line in Khusham”, a town southeast of the provincial capital, Deir al-Zor.

The U.S.-led coalition had alerted Russian officials about the presence of SDF forces, the U.S. official said.

“Coalition officials were in regular communication with Russian counterparts before, during and after the thwarted (enemy) attack,” the official said.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said the pro-government militias involved in the incident had been carrying out reconnaissance and their activities had not been previously agreed with Russia.

No American troops were killed or wounded in the incident, officials said. Some U.S. troops had been embedded at the time with the SDF, whose headquarters in Deir al-Zor province had been a target of the attack.

One SDF fighter was wounded, the official said. Nouri Mahmoud, spokesman for the SDF’s most powerful element, the Kurdish YPG militia, described the clash as “skirmishes” and said each side had returned to their former positions.

“We suspect Syrian pro-regime forces were attempting to seize terrain SDF had liberated from Daesh (Islamic State) in September 2017,” the U.S. official said.

Neither U.S. officials nor the U.S.-backed coalition have offered details on the identity of attacking forces.

The coalition said in an email the pro-government forces had initiated hostilities with artillery fire, tank manoeuvres and mortar fire after a steady buildup of forces over the past week.

A reporter for Syrian state TV station Ikhbariya described the groups it said had been bombed by the U.S.-led coalition as “local people fighting (Islamic State) and the SDF”.

Russia’s Interfax cited the Defence Ministry as saying the incident showed the U.S. goal in Syria was not to battle Islamic State but “the capture and withholding of the economic assets”, an apparent reference to the Khusham oil field.</s>BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian state-run media said Thursday a rare U.S. strike on government-backed troops in eastern Syria killed and wounded dozens of tribal fighters, calling it a new effort "to support terrorism."

The U.S.-led coalition said its action was in "self-defense," citing a major attack on its allied forces and U.S. advisers in Deir el-Zour province by at least 500 fighters, battle tanks, howitzers and mortars.

The overnight attack, which a U.S. military official earlier said killed about 100 of the attackers, added another layer to the Syrian conflict that is once again plunging into a new and unpredictable spiral of violence.

The attack in Deir el-Zour province in northeastern Syria occurred in crowded battle space. A stronghold of Islamic State militants until late last year, the province also was the group's main source of oil revenue. U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces have been fighting for control of Deir el-Zour with rival Russian-backed Syrian troops that are reinforced by Iranian-supported militias.

The U.S.-backed forces control areas east of the Euphrates River and most of the oil and gas fields, while government forces are based in the west. Previous friction was reported before, but Wednesday's incident appeared to be the largest since last year. The IS militants have been dispersed in the province, which also has a number of U.S. bases.

In an email Thursday to The Associated Press, Col. Thomas F. Veale said the coalition reported to the Russians the buildup of the pro-government forces in the area before the attack, and communicated with them during and after it. The Russian officials offered assurances that they would not engage the coalition forces in the area, Veale said.

"Pro-regime forces initiated hostilities with artillery pieces (howitzers). Additionally, Syrian pro-regime forces maneuvered T-55 and T-72 main battle tanks with supporting mortar fire in what appears to be a coordinated attack on Syrian Democratic Forces approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of the Euphrates River de-confliction line in Khusham, Syria," Veale said.

By crossing the river, the pro-government forces would have violated the existing de-confliction agreement between Washington and Moscow, approaching U.S.-backed forces based near an oil field in the area. Russia is the main ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Asked if Russia was responsible for not stopping the attack, Veale said: "The de-confliction effort has served its purpose. Just as the coalition does not direct the operations of the SDF, the Russians do not direct operations of the Syrian regime."

Veale said they suspect the Syrian pro-government forces were trying to seize terrain from the U.S.-backed forces liberated from IS militants last year, including major oil fields in the area.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the U.S. airstrike wounded 25 pro-Syrian volunteers. It alleged that the incident showed that Washington was not interested in fighting Islamic militants but wanted "to seize and hold Syrian economic assets."

Syria's state media said the coalition bombed government-backed troops in Khusham, describing them as tribal fighters. The media cited reports of dozens killed and wounded.

The official state news agency SANA said the local fighters were battling IS militants and the U.S.-backed SDF in the area.

SANA labeled it an "aggression" and a "new massacre." It later reported that 10 strikes by the coalition had caused "massive destruction."

The head of the SDF unit in the area, Ahmed Abu Khawla, told AP the attackers were government-backed local militias known as the National Defense Forces. He said they started the attack near oil fields on the east side of the Euphrates.

"It was a little bit stronger than the usual clashes in the area. Everyone is back to their bases," said Abu Khawla, the head of the Deir el-Zour Military Council. "It is now normal."

In Beirut, an official with Hezbollah said the group has no presence in the area hit by the coalition, adding that those who came under fire were pro-Assad forces known as the Popular Committees, as well as the Syrian National Defense Forces. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, said Deir el-Zour province continues to be tense following the foiled attack and the U.S. response, and said there were reports of a new mobilization to the area.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of activists in Syria, said the Khusham area, near one of the province's largest oil fields, saw intense clashes with heavy weaponry late Wednesday between pro-Assad forces and the SDF.

The clashes prompted the coalition response with land-to-land missiles and airstrikes, the Observatory said. It added that at least 45 pro-government troops, including Arab and Asian fighters, were killed.

Last summer, the coalition shot down Iranian-made armed drones and aircraft affiliated with the Syrian government in southern Syria, after they came dangerously close to U.S-backed forces and advisers.

The U.S. airstrike coincides with escalating violence in Syria.

Turkey, a NATO member, has been carrying out a military offensive to clear a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia from in a northwestern border town, increasing tensions between Washington and Ankara.

The Syrian government also has been pressing its campaign against a rebel-held area near the capital of Damascus. On Thursday, the Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, said 35 people were killed in a number of towns in the eastern Ghouta area, which has been pummeled by a combination of artillery and airstrikes.

Activists have recorded at least 169 killed since Monday in eastern Ghouta.

Meanwhile, Turkish officials said the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran will meet in Istanbul to discuss peace efforts for Syria.

The officials said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the summit in a telephone call Thursday. It was not immediately clear when the Istanbul meeting would take place.

The Turkish officials said the two also agreed that efforts to create "observation posts" in Syria's Idlib province as part of a de-escalation agreement among Turkey, Russia and Iran should gain momentum. Turkey already has deployed troops in Idlib to such posts, and some of its soldiers have come under attack.

They also discussed the humanitarian situation in the Ghouta region.

The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.

Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Syria - U.S. May Have Arranged "Self Defense" Attack On Syrian Government Forces

Last night the illegal U.S. occupation force in north-east Syria attacked a group of Syrian government aligned troops and their Russian support. The incident happened north-east of Deir Ezzor city on the east side of the Euphrates. The U.S. claims that it killed some 100 Syrian soldiers that were allegedly attacking its proxy forces in an attempt to recover oil fields.

There is a factual separation of areas south-west of the Euphrates under Syrian government control and north-east of the Euphrates under U.S. occupation. But several locations around Manbij, Raqqa and Deir Ezzor contradict that and are under control of the respective other side. The U.S. claims that a "de-confliction line" along the Euphrates is agreed upon. The Syrian government says that no such agreement exists.

An small area across the Euphrates north-east of Deir Ezzor had been taken by Syrian government forces months ago. It is near some oilfields which the U.S. wants to keep away from the Syrian government.

"The U.S. wants to keep Syria weak and poor," says Prof. Joshua Landis. According to Landis the U.S. is keeping the north-east of Syria under occupation to deny Syria access to its oil and its best agricultural land. It wants to turn Syria into a swamp for Russia and Iran to the benefit of mostly Israel.

The valuable oil and gas fields are currently in the hands of local Arab tribes who earlier worked with the Islamic State and are now, the U.S. claims, allied with the YPG/PKK Kurds under the name Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF is the U.S. local proxy force for its occupation.

On the Syrian government side in Deir Ezzor are a few Syrian troops, local militia from the area, as well as members of Russian private military contractor named Wagner Group. Wagner allegedly has a contract with the Syrian government that will give it some 25% of all revenues from oil-fields it recovers and protects.

Last night the U.S. military announced that it had "self defended" against an attack by Syrian government troops on Syrian ground:

More than 100 fighters aligned with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were killed overnight when U.S. coalition and coalition-backed local forces repelled their attack in eastern Syria, a U.S. official said on Thursday. The heavy death toll underscored the large size of the attack, which the U.S. official said included about 500 opposing forces, backed by artillery, tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars. The official spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. 

...

 No American troops were killed or wounded in the incident, officials said. Some U.S. troops had been embedded at the time with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose headquarters in Syria’s Deir al-Zor province had been a target of the attack. One SDF fighter was wounded, the official said.

The U.S.also claims that it had seen preparations for the Syrian move and had warned the Russian command in Syria in advance:

Other sources say that there have been talks between Wagner and locals Arabs guarding the currently unproductive "Conoco" oil and gas field operation near the town of Khisham.

A translation of an earlier report from the opposition Al-Etihad media seems to confirm that some deal had been made:

Might this whole operation have been a trap? The U.S. military clearly knew that something was going to happen in the area. Local deals were made between the Syrian government side and locals Arabs holding the oil fields. The U.S. told the SDF to move out of the way. When the government aligned groups started to take over the field, as presumably agreed upon, the U.S. bombed them.

The "attack on coalition forces" the U.S. claimed as justification for its bombing seems not to have taken place at all. How else does one explain that sole casualty of the claimed battalion size attack with strong artillery support is "one wounded SDF" fighter? A later U.S. military statement to a journalist seems to be vague about the reality of an attack:

Is the U.S. military emphasizing the "SDF headquarters location" because the headquarter was no longer there as the SDF had already withdrawn from it? And why is a tank round landing some 500 meters away seen as a direct attack? Tanks rounds may deviate from the targeted point by a meter or two. There is no chance that rounds landing some 500 meters away were intended to hit the headquarter location. Whatever the Syrian forces have been hitting at, if they hit at all, was not the SDF headquarter location.

The story the U.S. military is trying to sell here stinks.

The incident seems comparable to the unprovoked U.S. attack on Syrian troops in September 2016. That air attack killed 100 Syrian troops who were then encircled and holding out against Islamic State forces. At that time it nearly enabled the Takfiris to eliminate that last Syrian government position in the east.

There has recently been a chain of provocations against Russian and Syrian forces in Syria. Two massive drone swarm attacks were directed against the Russian air-port in Hememim and its naval base in Tartus. This week well targeted mortar rounds from east-Ghouta have hit the Russian trade mission in Damascus and severely damaged it. A Russian aid-distribution point in Damascus was similarly attacked just while leaders of some Russian non-government organizations were visiting it. Over Idleb a Russian jet was shot down with a rare MANPADS. All three were beyond the material and intelligence capabilities of the "rebel" forces.

The ludicrous "chlorine gas attack" propaganda against Syria is back in full force. Despite an Russian-Turkish-Iranian de-escalation agreement with Turkey, al-Qaeda and other "rebel" forces in Idleb governorate still seem to receive unlimited supplies through Turkish borders. Israel is attacking targets in Syria and tries to extend its occupation of the Golan heights.

The U.S. war against Syria and its allies continues with full forces even while the U.S. pretends that no such war is happening at all. The intend to create the swamp Prof. Landis talks about is hidden behind clandestine operations, "self defense" action and "humanitarian" blubber.

The U.S. should be careful. More than one side can play dirty games. Its troops in north-east Syria have thin supply lines and are not well protected. They, as well as U.S. forces in Iraq, are vulnerable to clandestine activities of the other side. I would not be surprised at all should they suddenly receive some unwanted and very bloody attention.

Posted by b on February 8, 2018 at 08:34 AM | Permalink</s>Washington (CNN) The US-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria conducted air and artillery strikes against pro-regime forces in Syria on Wednesday, killing an estimated 100 pro-regime fighters, according to a coalition statement.

The coalition described its action -- which if confirmed could represent the largest number of pro-regime casualties inflicted by the US-led coalition -- as carried out in "self defense."

Syrian state news agency SANA described the action as an "aggression" by the coalition against "popular forces" who were fighting ISIS and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The attack had left "scores of persons dead and others injured" and caused "huge damage" to the area, SANA added.

According to a coalition statement, its strikes were carried out after forces allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "initiated an unprovoked attack" against a well-established Syrian Democratic Forces headquarters where coalition advisers were working with US-backed Syrian fighters.

Some 500 pro-regime troops carried out the attack using artillery, mortar fire and Russian-made tanks "in what appears to be a coordinated attack on Syrian Democratic Forces," a US military official said.

The official said that about "20 to 30 artillery and tank rounds landed within 500 meters" of the Syrian Democratic Forces headquarters before the US-backed fighters and coalition forces "targeted the aggressors with a combination of air and artillery strikes."

"We estimate more than 100 Syrian pro-regime forces were killed while engaging (Syrian Democratic Forces) and Coalition forces," the official said.

"This action was taken in self-defense," he said, adding that pro-regime forces that returned across the river had not been targeted.

The official said no coalition or US personnel had been killed or wounded in the engagement but that one member of the Syrian Democratic Forces was wounded.

The coalition said the attack took place in Khusham in the Middle Euphrates River Valley, five miles east of the agreed-on "de-confliction" line designed to separate Russian-backed regime troops and US-backed forces in Syria.

He said the coalition suspected that pro-regime forces were attempting to seize territory, including lucrative oil fields, that the Syrian Democratic Forces had liberated from ISIS in September.

They "were likely seeking to seize oilfields in Khusham that had been a major source of revenue for Daesh from 2014 to 2017," the official said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

Another US official who spoke to CNN said it was unclear exactly who the pro-regime forces were but that the US is looking into whether Russian contractors operating in the vicinity might have been involved. This official added that there is no direct evidence yet that the Russians had fired on the Syrian Democratic Forces facility where the US advisers were located. They have not ruled out that Iranian backed-forces might have also been involved in the attack, this official said.

The coalition "cannot speculate on the exact makeup of the Syrian pro-regime forces who conducted the attack at this time," the US military official said.

The US military official said the coalition had informed Russia of the presence of pro-regime forces in the area before the attack via a hotline established as part of the de-confliction line, adding that the coalition had observed a buildup of pro-regime troops over the past week.

"Coalition officials were in regular communication with Russian counterparts before, during and after the thwarted (Pro-Regime Forces) attack," the military official said. "Russian officials assured Coalition officials they would not engage Coalition forces in the vicinity."

Asked Thursday about the US-led coalition action, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred questions to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The US maintains about 2,000 troops in Syria, who mostly work with the over 50,000-strong Syrian Democratic Forces, a mix of Kurdish and Arab fighters who have been the primary US-backed force fighting ISIS in Syria.

This is not the first time the US military has clashed with pro-regime forces in Syria.

A US Navy F/A-18 shot down a Syrian regime Su-22 jet last June that had attacked US-backed forces on the ground. Coalition aircraft have struck regime forces who were perceived as posing a threat to a base at At Tanf, Syria, that houses US and coalition military advisers. The US also shot down a pro-regime drone after it dropped a munition in the vicinity of US troops in Syria.</s>The US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) conducted air and artillery strikes against pro-regime forces in Syria, killing over 100 fighters, the coalition said in a statement. The coalition said Wednesday’s strikes had been carried out after forces allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “initiated an unprovoked attack” against a well-established Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) headquarters where coalition advisers were working with US-backed Syrian fighters, reports CNN. Some 500 pro-regime troops carried out the attack using artillery, mortar fire and Russian-made tanks, a US military official said.

“Syrian pro-regime forces manoeuvred T-54 and T-72 main battle tanks with supporting mortar fire in what appears to be a coordinated attack on the SDF approximately 8 kilometres east of the Euphrates River de-confliction line in Khusham, Syria,” the military official said. The official said that about “20 to 30 artillery and tank rounds landed within 500 metres” of the headquarters before the US-backed fighters and coalition forces “targeted the aggressors with a combination of air and artillery strikes”.”We estimate more than 100 Syrian pro-regime forces were killed while engaging (Syrian Democratic Forces) and Coalition forces.

“This action was taken in self-defence,” the official said, adding that pro-regime forces that returned across the river had not been targeted. No coalition or US personnel were killed or injured, CNN quoted the coalition as saying. The official said the coalition suspected that pro-regime forces were attempting to seize territory, including lucrative oil fields, that the SDF had liberated from the IS in September. The US maintains about 2,000 troops in Syria, who mostly work with the over 50,000-strong SDF, a mix of Kurdish and Arab fighters who have been the primary US-backed force fighting the IS in Syria.</s>WASHINGTON/BEIRUT: A U.S.-led coalition and its local allies in Syria struck pro-government forces with deadly air and artillery fire overnight to repel "an unprovoked attack" near the Euphrates, the coalition said on Thursday.

The incident underscores the potential for further conflict in Syria's oil-rich east, where the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias holds swathes of land after its offensive against Islamic State.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by Russia and by Shi'ite militias backed by Iran, has said he wants to take back every inch of Syria.

The pro-government forces were "likely seeking to seize oilfields in Khusham" east of the Euphrates in Deir al-Zor province, said a U.S. official on condition of anonymity.

The attack was carried out by 500 troops backed by artillery, tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars but the coalition and its local allies killed more than 100 of them, the official said.

Syrian state television reported that the coalition had caused "dozens of dead and wounded" by bombing pro-government forces. But a commander in the military alliance supporting Assad disputed the death toll, saying seven members of the pro-government forces were killed and 27 injured.

In a letter to the United Nations, Syria's foreign ministry described the strike as a "war crime" and called for the coalition to be dismantled, Syrian state news agency (SANA) said: "We demand (that the international community) condemn this massacre and hold the coalition responsible for it."

The U.S.-led coalition was set up in 2014 to battle Islamic State fighters in both Syria and Iraq, who were largely defeated last year. Some 2,000 U.S. special forces troops remain on the ground in Syria, allied to the Kurdish-led SDF alliance, which holds the largest swathe of territory still outside the control of the government.

The Syrian civil war, now entering its eighth year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven more than 11 million from their homes, while drawing in regional countries and global powers supporting client factions on the ground.

For the most part, the U.S.-backed SDF and the government forces backed by Russia and Iran avoided direct confrontation while both were fighting the common Islamic State enemy. Moscow and Washington maintain contacts in eastern Syria to prevent unexpected confrontation between forces they support.

The coalition said the attack occurred around 8 km (5 miles) "east of the Euphrates River de-confliction line in Khusham", a town southeast of the provincial capital Deir al-Zor city.

The U.S.-led coalition had alerted Russian officials about the presence of SDF forces, the U.S. official said.

"Coalition officials were in regular communication with Russian counterparts before, during and after the thwarted (enemy) attack," the official said.

Russia's Defence Ministry said the pro-government militias involved in the incident had been carrying out reconnaissance and their activities had not been previously agreed with Russia.

No American troops were killed or wounded in the incident, officials said. Some U.S. troops had been embedded at the time with the SDF, whose headquarters in Deir al-Zor province had been a target of the attack.

One SDF fighter was wounded, the official said. Nouri Mahmoud, spokesman for the SDF's most powerful element, the Kurdish YPG militia, described the clash as "skirmishes" and said each side had returned to their former positions.

"We suspect Syrian pro-regime forces were attempting to seize terrain SDF had liberated from Daesh in September 2017," the U.S. official said.

Neither U.S. officials nor the U.S.-backed coalition have offered details on the identity of attacking forces.

The coalition said in an email the pro-government forces had initiated hostilities with artillery fire, tank manoeuvres and mortar fire after a steady buildup of forces over the past week.

A reporter for Syrian state TV station Ikhbariya described the groups it said had been bombed by the U.S.-led coalition as "local people fighting (Islamic State) and the SDF".

Russia's Interfax cited the Defence Ministry as saying the incident showed the U.S. goal in Syria was not to battle Islamic State but "the capture and withholding of the economic assets", an apparent reference to the Khusham oil field.
United States Central Command says that it killed more than 100 pro-government troops in "self-defense" strikes 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) east of the Euphrates de-confliction line that was reportedly agreed with Russia.