At least 62 Syrian troops died and almost 100 others were injured during an anti-Daesh coalition attack on a military base in eastern Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.
The air operation was carried out near Deir ez-Zour airport using the 2 F-16 and 2 A-10 aircraft belonging to coalition forces, according to a statement issued by the Russian Defense Ministry's Facebook account.
The statement said coalition aircraft entered Syrian airspace from the Iraqi border.
The Pentagon said coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike south of Deir ez-Zour that was “halted immediately” after Russia informed the U.S.-led coalition “that it was possible the personnel and vehicles targeted were part of the Syrian military.
“Coalition forces believed they were striking a Da’esh fighting position that they had been tracking for a significant amount of time before the strike,” Central Command said in statement.
“Syria is a complex situation with various military forces and militias in close proximity, but coalition forces would not intentionally strike a known Syrian military unit,” the statement said citing officials.
The strike took place in an area that was previously struck, and coalition members had earlier informed Russian officials “of the upcoming strike”, the command said.
The incident will be reviewed by the coalition “to see if any lessons can be learned”, Central Command added.
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