Jun 13, 2023 - World

22 U.S. service members wounded in helicopter incident in Syria

Rebecca Falconer

A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter at a remote combat outpost near the Turkish border in northeastern Syria. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

A helicopter "mishap" in northeastern Syria left 22 American service members injured, the U.S. Central Command said late Monday.

Details: The service members had "injuries of varying degrees" and 10 of them were evacuated to higher care facilities outside the Central Command area of responsibility, according to a U.S. Central Command statement on Sunday's incident.

"The cause of the incident is under investigation, although no enemy fire was reported," the statement added.

The big picture: U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces ousted ISIS militants from the last territory they held in the Middle East in Baghouz, Syria, in 2019. But some American troops remain in the region because of ISIS operatives still at large there.

The U.S. Central Command said earlier this month that its members and partner forces conducted 17 operations against ISIS that resulted in the deaths of two ISIS operatives and the detention of 20 others.
Representatives for the U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to Axios' request for further comment on the incident.

Add Axios on Google

22 U.S. service members wounded in helicopter incident in Syria

What to read next