US military reports rocket attacks on its patrol base in Syria

Attacks on the US patrol base come as tensions escalate on the Syria-Turkey border following a bombing in Istanbul.

The United States military has reported two rocket attacks targeting its patrol base in northeastern Syria, but said there were no injuries to its forces.

In a statement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the attacks “targeted coalition forces” at its base in al-Shaddadi in Syria late on Friday.

“The attack resulted in no injuries or damage to the base of coalition property.”

It did not say who was behind the rocket fire.

The attacks come as tensions escalate on the Syria-Turkey border with the Turkish military launching a wave of deadly air raids on Kurdish forces in both Syria and Iraq in retaliation for a bombing in Istanbul on November 13. Ankara blames the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the YPG Kurdish forces for the attack, but they deny any involvement.

There have also been rocket attacks from Syria that have killed civilians in Turkey.

The US – for which the YPG-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been a key ally in the fight against ISIL (ISIS) group – has been urging de-escalation.

CENTCOM said on Friday that the SDF visited the origin site of the attacks and found a third unfired rocket.

“Attacks of this kind place coalition forces and the civilian populace at risk and undermine the hard-earned stability and security of Syria and the region,” said Colonel Joe Buccino, a spokesman for CENTCOM.