U.S.-led coalition in Syria strikes Assad-backed militia forces

The U.S.-led coalition in Syria attacked Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's militia forces in air strikes Thursday, an American official confirmed to BuzzFeed News and Reuters.

"[Syrian] rebels worried last week that regime forces would get too close to U.S. [special forces] base at [the southern Syrian town of] Tanf," reported BuzzFeed News correspondent Mike Giglio. "It seems that happened today, and [the] coalition struck."

Warning shots were reportedly fired first at the Iranian-backed Syrian army militia convoy. The U.S. previously attacked Assad's forces after the regime's use of chemical weapons in the town of Idlib.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

The U.S.-led coalition and the Assad regime are mutually fighting the Islamic State in the region.