US Air Force F-15 shoots down Iranian drone over Syria that posed a threat to 900 US troops stationed there
- The unmanned armed drone triggered 'self-defense measures,' US officials said
- It flew near Green Village, a US outpost near an oil field in eastern Syria, with an unconfirmed report claiming the drone came from Iran
- Last month, the Pentagon said it was deeply concerned about US troops in Syria and Iraq
- In July, two people aboard an Israeli-operated oil tanker were killed by a drone attack said to come from Iran, according to the US, the UK and Israel
- Iranian 'kamikaze' drones are unmanned and contain explosives
- A US-led coalition has been fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq since 2014
A US Air Force F-15 fighter jet shot down a drone said to have come from Iran after it was deemed a threat to troops stationed in eastern Syria Saturday.
'Coalition aircraft successfully engaged and defeated a UAS through air to air engagement in the vicinity of Mission Support Site Green Village,' US Army Colonel Wayne Marotto, who heads the US-led coalition against ISIS, told Reuters, using an acronym for an unmanned aircraft system.
Fox News reporter Lucas Tomlinson said an F-15E shot the 'Iranian' drone, which flew 'too close' to the 900 US troops in the area, according to a tweet citing US officials.
Green Village is an outpost where US troops are housed in former oil industry villas next to a major Syrian oil field, according to the Washington Post.
Iran is blamed for supplying drones used to attack US and Israeli forces from Syria and Palestinian territory. Above, an Iranian drone launched during a combat exercise in January
The unmanned 'kamikaze' drone was taken down by a F-15E, pictured above in October 2020
Separately, officials told Aviation Week that the drone was 'deemed a threat and self-defense measures were taken.'
The Pentagon last month said it was deeply concerned about attacks on U.S. personnel in Syria and Iraq.
Just last month, two US service members were wounded after 14 rockets hit an Iraqi air base hosting US forces, according to Reuters.
Iraqi militia groups aligned with Iran had vowed to retaliate after US strikes on the Iraqi-Syrian border killed four of their members in June.
The latest show of force in Syria took place as the US manages a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, where the terrorist Taliban have taken over most of the country and the US does its best to evacuate American citizens and allies.
The international coalition against ISIS, named Operation Inherent Resolve, was established in October 2014 under President Barack Obama. It currently consists of 77 countries and five international organizations operating in Iraq and Syria.
US Army Colonel Wayne Marotto, who heads the US-led coalition against ISIS, said the drone was close to Green Village in Syria, where the US has about 900 troops
Earlier this month, the US, the UK, Israel and other countries blamed Iran for a 'kamikaze' drone that killed a Romanian and a British national aboard an Israeli-operated merchant ship off the coast of Oman on July 30.
The vertical fin of the drone recovered from the MV Mercer Street was similar to other Iranian killer drones, the US military said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told DailyMail.com at the time that 'Iran should face up to the consequences of what they've done,' adding that it was 'clearly an unacceptable and outrageous attack on commercial shipping.'
Since February, at least three other Israeli-linked ships have been attacked in the same region - including MV Helios Ray on February 25, off the coast of Oman, MV Hyperion Ray on April 13 off the coast of UAE, and CSAV Tyndall on July 2 in the Persian Gulf.
In May, the Israeli military released video of an F-16 fighter jet shooting down another armed suicide 'kamikaze' drone from Gaza.
A US-led coalition is fighting against ISIS in Syria amid an ongoing civil war. Above, volunteers with the Syrian Civil Defense help put out a fire caused by Syrian regime forces on August 18
That drone contained an 11-pound explosive payload, according to the Times of Israel.
Hamas, which controls the territory, says the drones are assembled in Gaza, but the the Isareli military believes that many of the components are smuggled in.
Also in May, another Iranian drone was taken down near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, about 19 miles west of Jerusalem, according to the Jerusalem Post.
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