A US-backed force in Syria says a Russian airstrike wounded six of its fighters near the eastern city of Deir ez-Zour while in the southeast Syrian troops and their Iran-backed allies began a new offensive aiming to capture border areas under the cover of Russian airstrikes.
The command of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement that Saturday's air raid occurred on the eastern side of the Euphrates River in the industrial area that was recently liberated from the Islamic State group.
The US military said in a statement that Russian forces struck a target east of the Euphrates River near Deir ez-Zour causing injuries to US-led Coalition partner forces.
"Russian munitions impacted a location known to the Russians to contain Syrian Democratic Forces and Coalition advisers," the statement said, adding that the wounded SDF fighters received medical care following the strike.
It said that multinational coalition troops advising and assisting the SDF were present but not wounded as a result of the Russian strike.
"Coalition officials are available and the de-confliction line with Russia is open 24 hours per day," said Coalition commander Lt Gen Paul E Funk II. "We put our full efforts into preventing unnecessary escalation among forces that share ISIS as our common enemy.
"The coalition and its partners remain committed to the defeat of ISIS and continued de-confliction with Russian officials," the statement said. "Coalition forces and partners always retain the right of self-defence."
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