US Military Downs Suspected Iranian-Made Drone in Syria - CENTCOM

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US military has shot down a suspected Iranian-manufactured drone in Syria that allegedly attempted to conduct reconnaissance of a US military base in the northeast of the country, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday.

"On February 14th, at approximately 2:30 PM local time [11:30 GMT], US forces in Syria engaged and shot down an Iranian-manufactured UAV attempting to conduct reconnaissance of Mission Support Site Conoco, a patrol base in northeast Syria," CENTCOM said on Twitter.

On February 14th, at approximately 2:30 PM local time, US forces in Syria engaged and shot down an Iranian-manufactured UAV attempting to conduct reconnaissance of Mission Support Site Conoco, a patrol base in northeast Syria. pic.twitter.com/3GSf8odK3w

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 15, 2023

The armed conflict in Syria has been going on since 2011, with President Bashar Assad's forces fighting different insurgent groups, including terrorists. Along with hostilities, the Middle Eastern nation has been suffering acute health, energy, and economic crises.

The United States backs Kurdish armed groups in Syria despite protests from Damascus. The US military currently controls parts of the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Raqqa, Aleppo, and Deir Ez-Zor, where the largest Syrian oil and gas fields are located.

The Syrian government does not recognize the so-called autonomous administration of northern and eastern Syria and calls the presence of the US military in its territory occupation.