U.S. Friendly Fire Killed U.S. Trained Rebels During Heavy Fighting In Syria In May

© Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

FOX News/WSJ: Pentagon investigating friendly fire that killed Syrian allies

The U.S. military bombed a Syrian rebel unit it had trained and equipped in a friendly-fire incident in late May, prompting an internal investigation and raising questions about renewed Pentagon efforts to build local forces to battle Islamic State.

The military didn’t disclose the incident until asked about it by The Wall Street Journal. It is the most serious setback to date for the Pentagon’s recent efforts to work with Sunni Arab forces in northern Syria.

The Pentagon said it conducted a series of airstrikes in and around the Syrian town of Ma’ra on May 27 and May 28. The Pentagon-backed Mutasim Brigade said one of the airstrikes hit the brigade.

A statement issued by the U.S. military at the time said three strikes were carried out near Ma’ra that “struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL tactical vehicles and an ISIL vehicle,” using the Pentagon’s preferred acronym for Islamic State.

Read more ....

Update: US bomb allied anti-ISIS forces in Syria, Pentagon confirms (RT)

WNU Editor: If the Wall Street Journal never asked this specific question .... we would still not know about this incident today. You have to wonder what else is out there that (also) needs to be disclosed.