By Maya Gebeily(Reuters) - A force that has been the backbone of the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State said additional air defences should be deployed in northeast Syria after six of its fighters were killed in a drone attack it blamed on pro-Iran factions.
Mazloum Abdi, commander of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, said his force considered it "a dangerous development when our camps are targeted in drone attacks by factions backed by Iran."
On Feb. 4, the SDF said an explosive drone attack by Iran-backed armed groups in eastern Syria killed six of their fighters.
Asked whether he had requested additional military backing to fend off such attacks, Abdi said his Kurdish-led force would "require technical capabilities and an increase in the aerial defensive systems" deployed in northeast Syria.
It holds a quarter of Syria, including oil fields and areas where some 900 U.S. troops are deployed.
Persons:
Maya Gebeily, Mazloum Abdi, Jan, Abdi, That's, Bashar al, Assad, Phil Stewart, William Maclean
Organizations:
Islamic State, Syrian Democratic Forces, U.S, Hamas, SDF, Reuters, Pentagon, State Department, White, Islamic
Locations:
U.S, Syria, Iran, State, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Jordan, Kurdish, Washington, Islamic State, Turkey