One minor and an adult died when a coalition patrol opened fire on a crowd in Qamshli, according to a military source.
"At 10 a.m. the US patrol including six armoured Humvee vehicles deliberately entered the area controlled by the Syrian authorities", the Syrian military source said. "The US troops opened fire, as a result 10-year-old Juma Suleiman Barre was killed".
The source added that during the clashes one US soldier was injured and four armoured vehicles were damaged.
In the meantime, the US-led coalition has confirmed the incident, stating that an investigation is underway.
"On 12 February Coalition forces, conducting a patrol near Qamishli, Syria, encountered a checkpoint occupied by pro-Syrian regime forces", Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Myles Caggins stated. "Coalition troops issued a series of warnings and de-escalation attempts, the patrol came under small arms fire from unknown individuals. In self-defence, Coalition troops returned fire".
The situation in northern Syria remains extremely tight after the recent clashes between government forces and rebel militants, backed by Ankara. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to retaliate after five Turkish servicemen were killed by the Syrian Army striking an outpost in the rebel-controlled province of Idlib.
The Turkish forces later claimed they had fired at 115 Syrian Army targets and neutralised 101 of their troops.
The Syrian Army started an offensive in January, after reporting multiple ceasefire violations by the militants, including the Jabhat al-Nusra* terrorist organisation.
*al-Nusra, also known as al-Nusra Front, the Nusra Front, Jabhat al-Nusra, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, is a terrorist group banned in Russia
