The incident took place near the village of Khirbet Amo, east of the town of Qamishli on Wednesday. Clashes broke out after the American patrol veered off its expected route and was stopped at a Syrian Army checkpoint, the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation reported.
The altercation between Syrian and US servicemen drew in a large group of local residents and at one point the American troops opened fire on them, killing a 14-year--old boy and injuring another person. Russian military police arrived at the scene and were able to quell the tensions before they could have spiraled into a major confrontation.
“Only thanks to the efforts of the Russian servicemen who arrived at the scene of the incident, it was possible to prevent a further escalation of the conflict with local residents,” the Russian military said.
The US military claimed earlier in the day that it had to retaliate after its patrol “came under small arms fire from unknown individuals,” forcing it to fire back in “self-defense.” Footage from the scene circulating online shows a group of armed men – wearing both civilian and military clothing – shooting at the US convoy.
US troops managed to leave the village with Russian assistance, though some of their vehicles suffered minor damage – such as deflated tires – and others had to be towed away.
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