An American MQ-9 Reaper drone was accidentally shot down over northern Syria on Monday by the US’ main partners in the country, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, according to multiple officials familiar with the matter.
The SDF forces mistakenly identified the drone as Turkish and shot it down under the belief that it posed a threat. Tensions have escalated in northern Syria as Turkish-backed militants have clashed with the US-backed SDF forces in areas that have been under Kurdish control for a significant period.
The inadvertent destruction of the high-value drone highlights the volatile and complex nature of the conflict in northern Syria at present.
Senior US officials have been actively engaging with their Turkish counterparts to facilitate deconfliction efforts. The US played a role in brokering a ceasefire agreement on Tuesday between the SDF and the Turkey-backed forces. As part of the agreement, the SDF agreed to withdraw from the Kurdish-controlled city of Manbij.
