A helicopter accident in northeastern Syria on Sunday resulted in injuries to 22 U.S. service members.
U.S. Central Command told American Military News in an email that the 22 service members suffered “injuries of various degrees.”
Central Command also said the troops are “receiving treatment for their injuries and 10 have been evacuated to higher care facilities outside of the CENTCOM AOR.”
The cause of the helicopter accident remains under active investigation; however, it was reported that no enemy fire was involved in the incident.
According to Stars and Stripes, the United States has roughly 900 service members in Syria as part of a joint effort with Kurdish fighters to guard against a resurgent Islamic State. In addition to its 900 service members, the United States also has roughly 170 contractors in Syria.
“Our partner forces continue to demonstrate the capability, capacity, and competence to maintain the enduring defeat of ISIS,” Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, Commanding General of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, said in a press release earlier this month. “The Coalition continues to Advise, Assist, and Enable our partners to keep pressure on ISIS and prevent them from re-establishing any type of network or effective military effort.”
According to a summary provided by Central Command, U.S. coalition forces and partner forces carried out 17 partnered operations in Syria last month. The 17 operations in Syria resulted in 20 ISIS operatives being detained and the death of two ISIS operatives.
Sunday’s helicopter accident in Syria adds to the growing list of recent U.S. military helicopter incidents. At the end of April, U.S. Army Chief of Staff James McConville grounded all Army aviators, with the exception of those assigned to critical missions, with an aviation stand down to allow for additional training.
The aviation stand down order was issued after three U.S. soldiers were killed and another was injured in a collision between two Apache helicopters near Healy, Alaska. Weeks prior to that, nine U.S. soldiers were killed when two Blackhawk helicopters crashed in Kentucky.
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
