A contingent of U.S. Special Forces was caught up in Turkish shelling against U.S.-backed Kurdish positions in northern Syria, days after President Donald Trump told his Turkish counterpart he would withdraw U.S. troops from certain positions in the area. A senior Pentagon official said shelling by the Turkish forces was so heavy that the U.S. personnel considered firing back in self-defense.
Newsweek has learned through both an Iraqi Kurdish intelligence official and the senior Pentagon official that Special Forces operating on Mashtenour hill in the majority-Kurdish city of Kobani fell under artillery fire from Turkish forces conducting their so-called “Operation Peace Spring” against Kurdish fighters backed by the U.S. but considered terrorist organizations by Turkey. No injuries have been reported.
Instead of returning fire, the Special Forces withdrew once the shelling had ceased. Newsweek previously reported Wednesday that the current rules of engagement for U.S. forces continue to be centered around self-defense and that no order has been issued by the Pentagon for a complete withdrawal from Syria.
The Pentagon official said that Turkish forces should be aware of U.S. positions “down to the grid.” The official could not specify the exact number of personnel present, but indicated they were “small numbers below company level,” so somewhere between 15 and 100 troops. Newsweek has reached out to the Pentagon for comment on the situation.
The Turkish Defense Ministry issued a statement in response to Newsweek‘s report, denying that it had targeted a U.S. observation base but had, in self-defense, fired upon “terrorist” positions.
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#BREAKING and an exclusive developing story — #Turkey bombs U.S. Special Forces in #Syria attack, apparently by mistake https://t.co/AyVPNxQM91
— James LaPorta (@JimLaPorta) October 11, 2019
Trump has put our own soldiers in harm’s way.
Trump apparently was told by the generals that it would be a bad idea to withdraw our troops from Syria. But Trump doesn’t listen to good advice. His idea of an adviser is a “yes man” — someone he can order around and who won’t object or complain.
This is why I believe the president should not be given the title of Commander-in-Chief. Back in the day, every president served and had some knowledge about the military and war strategy. Or if he didn’t, he had trusted advisers who could tell him what the best course of action is and who he could listen to if they thought a certain strategy was a bad idea. But lately, we’ve had presidents who never served and in this case, we have one who doesn’t know military strategy, but who won’t listen to good advice. This president fancies himself as a brilliant general and making him Commander-in-Chief is downright dangerous.
What you are saying makes a lot of sense.
JUST IN: DoD statement on Turkey firing artillery at US troops pic.twitter.com/9KoI88J4Qi
— Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra) October 11, 2019
A NATO ally folks. And one in which the US still stores around 50 B-61 tactical nuclear weapons in secure, but not impregnable, vaults at Incirlik Airbase. https://t.co/1QfJIqyAHB
— Vipin Narang (@NarangVipin) October 12, 2019
Donald Trump, master deal-maker. https://t.co/uQpSWXoYKL
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) October 12, 2019
"We'll take a look at it" — President Trump doesn't exactly seem concerned about reports that Turkish troops accidentally bombed US special forces in Syria pic.twitter.com/PFrcd8Lb4K
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 11, 2019
Turkish forces have fired on a declared U.S. military outpost in northern Syria. Turkey knows all of our locations down to the precise grid coordinate as confirmed by SECDEF and CJCS only two hours ago. This was not a mistake.
— Brett McGurk (@brett_mcgurk) October 11, 2019
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