Officials: US-led strikes on pro-regime Syria forces kill 100 fighters

Syrian civlians flee from the regime air strikes on the outskirts of Damascus. PIC/AFP

The US-led coalition killed at least 100 regime and allied fighters in retaliation for an attack in eastern Syria, a US official said, in one of the deadliest incidents of its kind. The flare-up lasted into the small hours of Thursday and was sparked by an attack on positions held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir Ezzor province.

The clash came against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Washington and Damascus over an uptick in the suspected use of chemical weapons by the regime and allied militia. According to the US Central Command, coalition advisers were also present at the site of the attack. "The coalition conducted strikes against attacking forces to repel the act of aggression," it said.

"More than 100 Syrian pro-regime forces were killed while engaging SDF and coalition forces," while one SDF member was wounded, a US military official said. The SDF and the coalition targeted the attacking forces with air and artillery strikes after "Twenty to 30 artillery and tank rounds landed within 500 metres of the SDF headquarters location," the official said.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai, National and International news here

Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go