Syria Today | US raid kills eight in eastern Syria

US raid kills eight in eastern Syria

US special forces shot dead eight people in eastern Syria after being flown in by helicopter from Iraq on October 26.

The attack occurred at 4.45pm when American forces disembarked from four military helicopters and “attacked a civilian building under construction, firing at the workmen inside and causing eight deaths”, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported. The attack occurred at al-Saukariah farm near the town of Abu Kamal, some 8km from the Iraqi border.

Early media reports provide conflicting accounts of the incident. The private Syrian TV station Dunia reported nine people had been killed and 14 wounded in the raid. Meanwhile, Syria’s Associated Press bureau quoted local residents who claimed two helicopters had raided the village of Hwijeh, 10 miles inside Syria’s border, killing seven and wounding five. Farhan al-Mahalawi, mayor of the nearby Iraqi border town of Qaim, told the Reuters news agency the targeted village had been surrounded by Syrian troops.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry summoned the US and Iraqi envoys to Damascus to provide an explanation for the attack on October 27. “Syria condemns this act of aggression and US forces will bear the responsibility for any consequences,” SANA quoted a Syrian official as saying. The state-run Tishreen newspaper labelled the attack a “war crime”, saying “the American forces from Iraq committed cold-blooded murder”.

The Syrian government is also demanding Iraqi authorities prevent the future use of its lands to launch attacks on Syria. America and Iraq are currently negotiating a status-of-forces agreement, which, if ratified by the Iraqi parliament, will extend the presence of US troops in Iraq and allow the US to take military measures to protect the country.

Suleiman Hadad, chairman of the Syrian Parliament’s Arab and Foreign Affairs Committee, told Syria Today the new agreement will give the US the power to do whatever it wants in the region under the pretext of protecting Iraq. “The Iraqi government shoulders part of the responsibility with the US for this attack,” he said. “Let it be known the security pact is dead before it is published. Today, America attacks Syria – who knows which country is next.”

At the time of publication, Baghdad confirmed the raid which it said targeted insurgents crossing into Iraq. An unnamed military official in Washington told local media the attack had been carried out to disrupt a “foreign fighter logistics network”. The official said that due to Syrian inaction, the US is now “taking matters into our own hands”.

In recent months the US has launched cross-border military operations into Pakistan, a move which it claims is necessary to protect US troops in neighbouring Afghanistan and to capture Islamic militants.

Last week at a press conference, General John Kelly, commander of US troops in western Iraq, said the US was redoubling efforts to secure the Syrian border, which he called an “uncontrolled” gateway for fighters entering Iraq.

His comments conflict with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani who last month told US President George Bush Iran and Syria no longer pose a problem to the country’s security. Iraqi officials have also recently praised Syria’s efforts to bolster security along the borders.

Media reports have speculated the US military incursion may be a parting shot against Damascus from the Bush administration. Thabet Salem, a Syrian political analyst, said the attack was a last ditch attempt by Bush to sway voters in favour of John McCain in the upcoming presidential election. “Syria will not take any extra actions against the US other than condemning this attack,” he said.