US military categorically denies reports that Turkish airstrikes killed two US soldiers in Afrin

Paul Antonopoulos
Fort Russ
Fri, 26 Jan 2018 19:03 UTC

© AFP 2018/ Ahmad SHAFIA BILAL

Syrian and Russian media reported en mass on Wednesday that in ​​the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in northwest Syria, air strikes by Turkish military aircraft killed two military advisers from the United States. Full details of the report can be read here.

However, since that time, the United States has come out denied the claims.

"Reports of two US-Coalition members killed in Afrin are FALSE. Completely UNTRUE," said US Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, Spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, from his Twitter account.

His claims are most likely true as it is known that the US military has no precense in the Afrin canton where Turkish-led forces are currently invading the region to remove the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) that Ankara deems to be a terrorist organization.

Comment: Most likely true. But even then, if NOT true, the US would still deny it. To admit it would probably put the US on a war footing with Turkey, and very few Americans want that.

See also: Kurds call for help from Assad - Afrin crisis winding down?