U.S.-Led Coalition Violations Of Syria’s Airspace Are Increasing

A General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)

United States-led coalition’s fighter jets and drones violated Syria’s airspace 28 times during the past day, Rear Admiral Vadim Kulit, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria, said on August 3.

“Aircraft of the so-called U.S.-led international anti-terrorist coalition continue to create dangerous situations in the sky over Syria, infringing upon Syria’s airspace and violating deconfliction protocols. Eleven violations of the deconfliction protocols of December 9, 2019 linked with the flights by the coalition drones were reported in Syria in the past 24 hours,” the commander said in his daily briefing.

According to Kulit, the number of violations of Syria’s airspace over the southeastern area of al-Tanf, across which international air routes run, is growing.

“Thus, during the day, 17 such violations by one pair of the coalition’s F-16, five pairs of F-35 and two pairs of Rafale fighter jets, as well as by two MQ-1C multi-role unmanned aerial vehicles were reported,” he said.

The U.S. keeps a garrison and some 200 troops in al-Tanf. The coalition maintains a 55-kilometer no-fly zone around the garrison.

Just a day earlier, the Russian Center Reconciliation reported just 14 violations of the coalition of Syria’s airspace. This shows how the U.S. is increasing its operations over the country from day to day without the approval of Damasucs or any coordination with the Russian military group there.

While the behavior of the U.S.-led coalition will not likely lead to a direct confrontation with Russian forces in Syria, it could eventually cause a serious incident.

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