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'US troops' carry out Syria raid
US helicopter-borne troops have carried out a raid inside Syria along the Iraqi border, killing eight people including a woman, Syrian authorities say.The official Syrian news agency Sana said the raid took place in the Abu Kamal border area, in eastern Syria. It said that American soldiers on four helicopters had stormed a building under construction on Sunday night. The US says it is investigating. It has previously accused Syria of allowing foreign militants into Iraq. The Syrian foreign ministry summoned the US envoy in Damascus to protest at the raid. A government official told Sana: "Syria condemns this aggressive act and holds American forces responsible for this aggression and all of its repercussions." Official media said the Iraqi envoy had also been summoned. If confirmed, the raid would be the first by US forces inside Syrian territory, says the BBC's Natalia Antelava. "Four American helicopters violated Syrian airspace around 16:45 local time (1345 GMT) on Sunday," Sana news agency said. It said that "American soldiers" who had emerged from helicopters "attacked a civilian building under construction and opened fire on workers inside - including the wife of the building guard - leading to [the deaths] of eight civilians". The dead included a man and his four children and a married couple. "The helicopters then left Syrian territory towards Iraqi territory," Sana said. It named the village as Sukkiraya, 8km (5 miles) from the Iraqi border. A US military spokesman couldn't confirm or deny the reports. He said: "It's a developing situation." The area is near the Iraqi border city of Qaim, which had been a major crossing point for fighters, weapons and money travelling into Iraq to fuel the Sunni insurgency. Washington has accused Damascus of turning a blind eye to the problem. Posted by: john frum 2008-10-26 |
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