MILITARY/SYRIA: “US aircraft shot down a pro-Syrian regime drone that fired on coalition forces patrolling with partner forces in southern Syria, a coalition spokesman told reporters on Thursday.
This is the first time that pro-Syrian regime forces — which the US says includes Iranian-backed Shia militias — have fired on the US-led coalition.
The pro-regime drone was shot down after it dropped one of several weapons it was carrying near a position where coalition personnel are training and advising partner ground forces in the fight against ISIS.
The ‘munition did not have an effect on coalition forces,’ according to spokesman Col. Ryan Dillon.
‘There are still some pro-regime forces that remain inside the de-confliction zone,’ said Dillon adding, ‘We remain ready to defend ourselves against any threat.’
Dillon indicated the US wanted to focus on fighting ISIS rather than these forces.”
-Barbra Starr, Ryan Browne, and Zachary Cohen, “Pentagon tests new anti-missile system in wake of North Korea threat,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, June 8, 3017 02:51pm