SDF forces believed multimillion-dollar drone was Turkish, officials tell CNN
An American MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down above northern Syria by the US' YPG/PKK-led partners, according to a report on Wednesday.
CNN reported, citing multiple officials familiar with the matter, that SDF forces believed the multimillion-dollar drone was Turkish when the group downed the aircraft Monday.
An American defense official told Anadolu earlier that the US Air Force lost contact with an unmanned MQ-9 Reaper operating above Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve on Dec. 9.
"We are actively assessing the incident to determine the cause and follow-on actions," the official said in a statement.
Northern Syria has recently seen the advance of Syrian opposition groups to liberate areas forcibly seized by the YPG/PKK terror group.
The MQ-9 is a drone operated by the US Air Force, capable of performing surveillance missions and offensive strikes.
Nearly 900 US military personnel are stationed in Syria as part of an anti-Daesh/ISIS coalition that includes the SDF.
The SDF is the US' primary anti-Daesh/ISIS partner in Syria. The group is led by the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, a designated terror group in the US and Türkiye. Washington's support for the SDF has greatly exacerbated tensions between the two NATO allies.
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