Joint Syrian-US patrol comes under attack near Palmyra: State media

"Syrian security forces and United States soldiers have come under fire during a joint field patrol near Palmyra, in the central Homs region, leaving two Syrian personnel and several US service members wounded, the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) state news agency reported. The assailant was killed in the incident on Saturday, with no further details regarding the motive or circumstances, SANA reported."

"Traffic on the Deir EzzorDamascus highway was temporarily halted as military aircraft conducted overflights in the area, the agency said. A security source told SANA that US helicopters evacuated those who were wounded to the al-Tanf base near the Iraqi border. There was no immediate comment from the Pentagon. The US has troops stationed in northeastern Syria as part of a decade-long effort to help a Kurdish-led force there combat ISIL (ISIS)."

"ISIL captured Palmyra in 2015, at the height of their military ascendancy in Syria, before losing the city 10 months later. During that time, it destroyed several ancient sites and artefacts while using others to stage mass executions. ISIL was vanquished in Syria in 2018, but still carries out sporadic attacks without controlling any territory inside Syria."

Syrian security forces and United States soldiers came under fire during a joint patrol near Palmyra in central Homs, resulting in two Syrian personnel and several US service members wounded; the assailant was killed and motives are unknown. Traffic on the Deir Ezzor–Damascus highway was temporarily halted as military aircraft overflew the area. US helicopters evacuated the wounded to the al-Tanf base near the Iraqi border. The Pentagon provided no immediate comment. The US maintains troops in northeastern Syria to support a Kurdish-led force against ISIL. ISIL once captured and damaged Palmyra and still conducts sporadic attacks despite losing territory.

Read at www.aljazeera.com