US-led coalition destroys Russian tank in Syria

By Safvan Allahverdi

WASHINGTON (AA) - The U.S.-led anti-Dash coalition destroyed a Russian tank in response to its indirect fire near Al Tabiyeh, Syria, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.

"Coalition forces acting in self-defense struck a T-72 tank near Al Tabiyeh, Syria on Feb. 10, 2018," coalition spokesman Col. Ryan Dillon told Anadolu Agency.

The tank had been maneuvering with coordinated indirect fire on a defensive position occupied by the SDF (PYD/PKK terror group) and coalition advisors, Dillon said, adding that the coalition’s positions were in range of the tank.

"Coalition officials maintained regular contact with Russian counterparts via established deconfliction lines to avoid misperceptions and miscalculations that could endanger each other's forces," he noted, adding that there were no casualties from coalition or PYD/PKK-led SDF.

The PYD/PKK is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror group that has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.

Since the mid-1980s, the PKK has waged a wide-ranging terror campaign against the Turkish state that has killed an estimated 40,000 victims.

U.S. cooperation with the PYD/PKK under the banner of the SDF has drawn heavy criticism from Turkey.