Russian presidential spokesman said in a statement that the U.S. troops had attempted to block the Russian patrol, which he alleged took “every step necessary to prevent the incident and proceed with its mission,”
Reacting to the incident, White House National Security Council spokesman, John Ullyot, said :
“To de-escalate the situation, the coalition patrol departed the area”
“Unsafe and unprofessional actions like this represent a breach of de-confliction protocols, committed to by the United States and Russia in December 2019.”
“The coalition and the United States do not seek escalation with any national military forces, but US forces always retain the inherent right and obligation to defend themselves from hostile acts”
The US currently has around 500 troops operating in northern Syria. The forces; who were initially deployed to support Kurdish-led forces; are now used as security for several important sites, including oil installations.
Russia, which has backed Bashar Al-Assad during the war, also has a military presence in the area. This has lead to a series of near clashes with American troops.