{"id":15401,"date":"2018-11-26T16:46:01","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T16:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/26\/americans-and-russians-have-exchanged-gunfire-in-syria-more-than-once\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:27:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:27:51","slug":"americans-and-russians-have-exchanged-gunfire-in-syria-more-than-once","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/11\/26\/americans-and-russians-have-exchanged-gunfire-in-syria-more-than-once\/","title":{"rendered":"Americans and Russians have exchanged gunfire in Syria more than once"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

American forces<\/a> have clashed with Russian fighters<\/a> in Syria on more than one occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The details come from an interview Ambassador James Jeffrey, U.S. special representative for Syria engagement, did with Russian media outlets last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interview transcript<\/a> was subsequently published on the U.S. Embassy in Moscow website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeffrey was asked by the Russian journalists to verify details of a February incident involving a mix of Russian mercenaries and pro-regime Syrian fighters<\/a> who attacked U.S. and local partner forces in eastern Syria\u2019s Deir ez-Zor province<\/a>. The Pentagon said the U.S. troops called for close-air support to defend their outpost, allegedly killing up to 200 enemy fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were no American casualties, but one partner force fighter was wounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I ask you for some details on that firefight? Did it actually happen and how many casualties were recorded?\u201d a journalist from Kommersant asked Jeffrey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere have been various engagements, some involving exchange of fire, some not,\u201d Jeffrey said. \u201cAgain, we are continuing our mission there and we are continuing to exercise our right of self-defense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Russian journalist then asked Jeffrey to provide details on the other dozen incidents, but he would not, citing operational security concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t comment on specific military actions of that nature. U.S. forces are legitimately in Syria, supporting local forces in the fight against Daesh,” Jeffrey said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State terror group. “As appropriate \u2014 and this has occurred about a dozen times in one or another place in Syria \u2014 they exercise the right of self-defense when they feel threatened. That\u2019s all we say on that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t