Close call in Syrian skies: US jet narrowly avoids Russian plane
On Sunday, an incident occurred in Syrian airspace. A coalition fighter-bomber plane from the United States "dangerously" approached a Russian reconnaissance plane over the Homs province area, according to Reuters, citing reports from Russian media.
7:02 AM EDT, August 19, 2024
"A coalition F/A-18 fighter-bomber came into dangerous contact with an An-30 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which was carrying out a scheduled flight in Syrian airspace," reported Captain Oleg Ignasyuk, deputy head of the Russian military center in Syria.
"The Russian crew, demonstrating high professionalism, promptly took the necessary measures to prevent a collision," he stated in a propaganda manner.
According to Russian sources, the incident occurred near the American base Al-Tanf in the Homs province. The United States Department of Defense has not yet provided an official reaction to the situation.
American military in Syria
The United States maintains a contingent of 900 soldiers in Syria and an additional 2,500 military personnel in neighboring Iraq. The primary objectives of their presence are to provide advisory roles and support local forces in countering the threat from ISIS, which in 2014 gained control over significant areas of both countries, only to be later pushed to the margins.
