Syrian source told Sputnik that the convoy bombed by the US-led coalition aircraft in the vicinity of al-Tanf did indeed belong to the Syrian pro-government forces.
The convoy itself was comprised of 5 T-62 main battle tanks, a ZSU-23-4 Shilka anti-aircraft weapon system and several four-wheel drive vehicles, crewed by a total of 50 troopers.
The return fire from Shilka’s four 23mm autocannons forced the attacking aircraft to rapidly gain altitude, thus becoming visible to the radars of the S-200 surface-to-air weapon systems of the 16th regiment based in al Damir. Having detected the retaliatory S-200 missile launches, the invading coalition aircraft quickly fled the Syrian airspace.
A total of six men were killed and three were injured during this attack.
The airstrike was apparently launched in response to the Syrian pro-government forces’ offensive against the US-backed elements, according to Reuters citing an American official.
