US Troops Kill 8 Inside Syria

[Update 3] U.S. helicopter-borne special forces carried out a raid inside Syria along the Iraqi border, killing eight people, according to Syrian and U.S. officials. (BBC) This is the first known attack by U.S. troops on Syrian soil. The Syrian report initially said four [adult] sons were among the dead; an AP reporter counted seven dead adults at the funeral. (AP)

U.S. counterterrorism officials say that American forces killed Badran Turki Hishan al Mazidih (a.k.a. Abu Ghadiya), the head of a Syrian network that funneled fighters, weapons and cash into Iraq. They say his body was flown out by U.S. CIA and special forces. (McClatchy) However, other reports say that Abu Ghadiya was killed two years ago. (BBC)

The raid took place in the Abu Kamal border area, near Sukkiraya village, 5 miles from the Iraqi border.

Syria’s foreign minister condemned what he called an act of “criminal and terrorist aggression.” (BBC)  A Baghdad government spokesman also condemned the raid, saying: “The Iraqi government rejects the US helicopter strike on Syrian territory, considering that Iraq’s constitution does not allow its land to be a base for launching attacks on neighbouring countries,” but he urged Damascus to prevent groups from using Syrian territory for “training and sending terrorists for attacks on Iraq and its people”. (BBC)

Sources:

• ‘US helicopter raid’ inside Syria (BBC)
• US official: Raid on Syria killed leader of cell (AP)
• CIA led mystery Syria raid that killed terrorist leader (McClatchy)
• Syria hits out at ‘terrorist’ US (BBC)
• Officials Say U.S. Killed an Iraqi in Raid in Syria (NYT)
• Baghdad condemns ‘US Syria raid’ (BBC)