US drones ‘harass’ Russian plane, airstrike kills ISIS leader: official

The three MQ-9 Reaper drones that the US military said were “harassed” over Syria on Friday by Russian fighter jets later carried out the airstrike that killed the top leader of the Islamic State group. was the same as the U.S. Central Command said on Sunday.

Centcom announced that IS leader Osama al-Muhazir was killed on Friday.

The news ended a third straight day of tense fighting in which the United States criticized the “dangerous and unprofessional” behavior of Russian pilots flying over Syria.

“Friday’s attack was carried out by the same MQ-9 that harassed Russian aircraft earlier in the day in a battle that lasted nearly two hours,” the CENTCOM statement added on Sunday.

The US military said it “harassed” a Reaper drone flying an anti-terrorist mission over Syria in two separate incidents on Wednesday and Thursday, criticizing the actions of Russian fighter pilots.

To highlight the action, the U.S. military has declassified two videos showing Russian fighter jets dropping parachute flares in front of the drones, one of them activating the afterburner. All these actions forced the drone to take evasive maneuvers.

After a third straight day of engagements between Russian fighter jets and U.S. drones on Friday, the U.S. Air Force Central said that 18 unprofessional close-in flights were conducted by Russian aircraft that allowed the MQ-9 to avoid dangerous situations. I responded to do so,” he said.

“We have made it clear that we remain committed to defeating ISIS throughout the region,” said CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael “Eric” Crilla. “ISIS is a threat not only in this region, but far beyond.”

“There are no indications that civilians were killed in this attack, and coalition forces are reviewing reports of civilian injuries,” Centcom said in a statement on Sunday.

It is unclear where the US airstrikes took place in Syria.

US military aircraft typically operate in eastern Syria, where 900 US soldiers are involved in operations against IS, while Russian forces and aircraft operate in western Syria to support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. there is

Last week, a Pentagon spokesman denied the Russian defense ministry’s allegations, saying US drones were flying in areas where Russian aircraft fly.

But US planes have previously operated in northwestern Syria, carrying out airstrikes against IS leaders.

Over the years, both militaries have regularly used deconfliction safety lines to give advance notice of where their aircraft will fly over Syria and prevent dangerous interactions.

U.S. officials said Russia stopped using the line regularly in recent months.