RAQQA, Syria — The U.S. military has announced that it shot down a Syrian Air Force fighter jet on Sunday after it dropped bombs near U.S. partner forces who were fighting ISIS.
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U.S. officials say that the shoot-down was done in the “collective self defense” of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), allies in the fight against ISIS.
The coalition said the Russia was contacted before the Syrian plane was shot down.
A U.S. Navy F-18 Super Hornet shot down the Assad regime’s SU-22, which “wound[ed] a number of SDF fighters and [drove] the SDF from the town” of Ja’Din.
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"The coalition's mission is to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria," the Pentagon said in a statement. "The coalition does not seek to fight Syrian regime, Russian or pro-regime forces partnered with them, but will not hesitate to defend coalition or partner forces from any threat. "