US sends additional military assets to Syria

Washington, Sep 19 (IANS) The US military said that it has deployed additional assets, including radar systems and armoured vehicles, to northeastern Syria, weeks after a collision incident between the American and Russian army vehicles in the region."The US has deployed Sentinel radar, increased the frequency of US fighter patrols over US forces, and deployed Bradley Fighting Vehicles to augment US forces in the Eastern Syria Security Area (ESSA)," US Central Command Spokesman Bill Urban said in a statement on Friday."These actions are a clear demonstration of US resolve to defend Coalition forces in the ESSA, and to ensure that they are able to continue their Defeat-ISIS mission without interference," Xinhua news agency quoted Urban as saying.US media reported that the latest deployment included six Bradley vehicles and fewer than 100 troops.The deployment was believed as a response to the collision between the vehicles that occurred in northern Syria in late August.The US and Russia blamed each other for the incident, which left seven American soldiers injured.Kenneth Ekman, deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, said in July that US troops in Syria interact with Russians almost daily.About 500 US troops are deployed in the northeastern part of Syria to fight against the Islamic State terror group and secure the oil fields operated by Kurdish forces.
--IANS ksk/