Iran Press/ Middle East: Several civilians, including children, have been killed in a raid by US special operations forces in northwest Syria, according to residents and rebels fighters.
Local sources told Al Jazeera on Thursday that at least 12 people, including seven children and three women, were killed in the overnight operation near the Turkey border in the province of Idlib, the last rebel enclave resisting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.
The raid hit a densely populated area where tens of thousands of people displaced from Syria’s war live in makeshift camps or overcrowded housing, Al Jazeera reported.
Several residents, speaking to The Associated Press news agency on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, also reported civilian deaths and said they saw body parts scattered around a house in the village of Atmeh.
In a statement, the Pentagon said the “mission was successful” but provided no details on who was the target of the raid, or if there were any casualties.
“US Special Operations forces under the control of US Central Command conducted a counter-terrorism mission this evening in northwest Syria,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said, “There were no US casualties. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”
Debris and rubble are seen in the aftermath of a raid mission conducted by US Special Operations Forces in Atmeh, Syria, ON February 3, 2022, in this picture obtained from social media.
Reuters news agency reported the raid was believed to have targeted a suspected al Qaeda-affiliated fighter, but there was no other information on the person’s identity and no immediate reports of any fighters being killed. Residents said they heard heavy gunfire during the operation, indicating resistance to the raid.
Video clips posted by the pro-rebel Syria TV channel showed a wounded child being carried by emergency rescuers as well as concrete debris.
The channel said the videos were taken in Atmeh, which is along the border across the southern Turkish province of Hatay.
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