MILITARY/RUSSIA/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Russian military forces on Saturday [9-16-17] attacked a location in Syria where they knew troops from the U.S.-led coalition and allied Syrian rebels were operating, the U.S. military said.
The strike injured several Syrian Democratic Forces troops but didn’t wound any members of the U.S.-led coalition, according to the statement from the Combined Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve, after the Russian forces hit a target east of the Euphrates River near Deir Ezzour.
Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said such an incident wasn’t possible but didn’t elaborate.
American and Russian forces have an open communications line to discuss operations that could overlap, especially air operations, to prevent midair collisions or the targeting of troops incorrectly. The communications line apparently wasn’t used in this instance…
The coalition didn’t respond to requests to clarify whether the attack was an airstrike and provided no further details on the matter.
The statement didn’t say whether the coalition troops threatened to fire at the Russian forces, but it reiterated that ‘coalition forces and partners always retain the right of self-defense.’ “
-Ben Kesling, Nathan Hodge, and Felicia Schwartz, “U.S. Says Russia Attacked Site Near American-Led Coalition in Syria,” The Wall Street Journal online, Sept. 16, 2017 07:10pm