Syria: Pro-government soldiers killed near al-Tanaf, September 1

Event

Unidentified aircraft carried out airstrikes targeting a pro-government convoy near al-Tanaf on the night (local time) of Saturday, September 1. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least eight fighters were killed and another 11 wounded in the strike, including an Iranian national. While the raid occurred near a US-led coalition base, no country has claimed responsibility for the operation as of Monday, September 3.

Context

Deadly air raids against government forces have increased over the past years near al-Tanaf and in eastern Syria. Some strike have been attributed by SOHR to the international coalition created by the US to fight the Islamic State.

To date, the Syrian conflict involves many parties, including the Syrian government, the Russian government, the Iranian government, the Turkish government, a US-led coalition, and numerous armed groups on the ground (including the Islamic State) with competing goals.

Advice

Due to extremely poor security conditions, Western governments generally advise against all travel to Syria, with some banning travel to the country. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to any travel to Syria.