US fighter jet downs Iranian drone in southern Syria

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – A United States fighter jet on Tuesday shot down an Iranian-made drone in southeastern Syria, an official US military statement confirmed.

The drone was downed by a US F-15E Strike Eagle near al-Tanf in Syria where the US is training forces battling the Islamic State (IS).

According to the US Central Command, military officials were convinced the armed Iranian drone was a threat to their forces.

An official statement said the fighter jet downed the pro-regime drone after it “displayed hostile intent and advanced on Coalition forces.”

The unmanned aerial device was confirmed as the Shaheed-129, believed to be Iran’s only armed drone.

The statement reiterated Washington’s focus was on defeating IS and not seeking to fight Syrian, Russian, or pro-regime forces.

“The Coalition calls on all parties to focus their efforts on the defeat of [IS], which is our common enemy and the greatest threat to regional and worldwide peace,” the statement read.

However, the report highlighted the US’ readiness to “defend Coalition or partner forces from any threat.”

The event follows the downing of a Syrian plane by a US fighter jet near Tabqa early Sunday evening.

An F/A-18 Super Hornet, launched from the George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier, shot the plane down after it dropped bombs near Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Sunday’s events mark the first time in nearly 20 years a US pilot shot down a manned enemy aircraft, according to Military Times.

The US Central Command later issued a statement saying the Syrian plane was downed “in collective self-defense of Coalition-partnered forces,” referring to the SDF troops.