Sunday, October 26, 2008

Syria Accuses U.S. in Deadly Helicopter Attack

Via CNN -

The U.S. military said it is investigating claims from Syria that U.S. helicopters based in Iraq killed eight people and wounded another Sunday in an attack inside Syria's territory Sunday.

Syria's state news agency SANA said four U.S. helicopters crossed the border and struck a farm about 5 miles inside Syria before returning to Iraqi airspace.

The raid occurred about 4:45 p.m. The helicopters hit a civilian building under construction on the farm, killing killing three men, the wife of a guard and four children, SANA said.
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Military officials are investigating the claims, Sgt. Brooke Murphy, a U.S. military spokeswoman, told CNN.

"Unfortunately, we cannot confirm anything at the moment," she said.

The attack occurred near the town of Al-Bukamal, which is home to a Red Crescent camp for Iraqi refugees.

The town is across the border from the Iraqi city of Qaim, which has been a major route for Sunni Arab fighters battling U.S. troops in Iraq.

Syria demanded Iraq's government "immediately investigate this serious violation" and bar U.S. forces from striking Syria from its territory. The Syrian government summoned U.S. and Iraqi diplomats to the Foreign Ministry in Damascus to condemn the attack, SANA reported.

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More details can be found at the following locations..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7692153.stm

Here are the original official Syrian Arab News Agency reports...

http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2008/10/26/198613.htm
http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2008/10/26/198617.htm

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