In pictures: Syrian Army downs three US drones over northern Latakia

YemenExtra

M.A.

Amid increased tensions between Washington and Damascus, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) shot down three US-manufactured drones hovering over Syrian airspace in the mountainous Latakia governorate.

The three Switchblade drones were downed by border soldiers of the SAA’s 144th Brigade at the town of Kessab on Sunday. It is unclear why the US military was spying on SAA positions in Latakia. Subsequently, pictures were published of the incident:

In 2014, Turkish forces invaded the Christian border town of Kessab, demolishing its churches and ultimately reaching the Syrian coast for the first time since the revolution began. However, the SAA drove the rebels back across the border in a couple of months.

Last week, the SAA was targeted by U.S. airstrikes in eastern Homs. On April 7, US warships also waged 59 Tomahawk missiles on the Shayrat Air Base. In last year’s September, the US Air Force took the lives of more than 100 SAA soldiers in Deir Ezzor. The attack was allegedly accidental.