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Battle of Khusham (2018)
Part of Syrian Civil War and Operation Inherent Resolve
Date 7 February 2018 Location Khusham, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria Result SDF/US victory
Belligerents
Syrian Democratic Forces   United States	Syrian government
Strength
SDF headquarters Several U.S. SOF personnel U.S. aircraft and artillery	500 troops supported by tanks and artillery
Casualties and losses
1 SDF fighter wounded	Syrian claim: 25 killed and wounded U.S. claim: 100 killed and wounded

The Battle of Khusham took place on 7 February 2018 when a force of five hundred Syrian pro-regime troops supported by tanks and artillery launched a ground assault on a local headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces near the town of Khusham, in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate of Syria. In what the United States called an “unprovoked attack”, Syrian government troops shelled the SDF base which contained American troops and then attacked using T-72 and T-55 tanks, prompting U.S. aircraft and artillery to retaliate. ^[1] According to the U.S. military, one hundred Syrian government fighters were killed and wounded in the battle leading to Syria accusing the United States of carrying out a "brutal massacre" of its troops while Russia accused the U.S. of being economically motivated in its actions, citing nearby oil fields. ^[2] This was the first U.S. combat action against Syrian forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad since a U.S. Navy F/A-18E shot down a Syrian Air Force jet near Raqqa, Syria on 18 June 2017. ^[3]

Background

Battle

On the night of 7 February 2018, a force of of five-hundred Syrian regime loyalist troops consisting of local militiamen, government soldiers, and Iranian trained Afghan Shia fighters launched an attack on a Syrian Democratic Forces headquarters near the town of Khusham, located on the Euphrates River in Syria. Supported by T-72 and T-55 tanks the Syrian troops first shelled the SDF base with artillery, mortars, and rockets in what U.S. military officials described as a "coordinated attack." Around 20-30 shells landed within 500 meters of the headquarters. The presence of U.S. special operations forces in the base elicited a response by U.S. coalition aircraft, including AC-130 gunships, F-15 fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. Nearby U.S. Marine artillery batteries, including a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System shelled Syrian forces as well.

The clash lasted three hours and saw 25-100 Syrian soldiers killed and wounded with just one SDF fighter wounded. No U.S. troops were killed or wounded. The Pentagon claimed to have been in constant contact with Russian military authorities throughout the engagement which gave U.S. forces assurance to carry out strikes without the risk of hitting Russian troops. U.S. officials say that Russian contractors possibly took part in the attack.

Reaction

•   United States - U.S. military officials said American military forces acted in "self-defense" and that the attack had been "unprovoked."
•   Russia - Russian member of parliament Franz Klintsevich called U.S. strikes illegal and and an act of aggression. ^[4] Russia has accused the United States of being motivated by the presence of oil in the area.
•   Syria - The Syrian foreign ministry wrote to the United Nations calling for the international community to condemn U.S. actions and labeled them as a "war crime", a "brutal massacre," and a "crime against humanity." The Syrian government also accused American forces of aiding terrorism and violating Syria's sovereignty.

See also

• September 2016 Deir ez-Zor air raid
• Tokhar airstrikes (2016)
• 2017 al-Jinah airstrike
• 2017 Shayrat missile strike
• American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War

References