Int'l coalition spokesman denies report of attack on US soldiers in Syria

'We can say that if there are prizes for fake news, this news agency deserves to win them all'

By TZVI JOFFRE
A man gestures at US military vehicles driving in the town of Darbasiya next to the Turkish border, Syria, April 2017 (photo credit: REUTERS/RODI SAID)
A man gestures at US military vehicles driving in the town of Darbasiya next to the Turkish border, Syria, April 2017
(photo credit: REUTERS/RODI SAID)
The official military Spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve denied a report on Monday by the Syrian state news agency SANA that had claimed that two US soldiers went missing after their vehicle was attacked by unknown assailants.
"Sadly Another Nonsense Article," tweeted spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III. "There is no incident involving coalition forces in Deir Ezzor. We can say that if there are prizes for fake news, this news agency deserves to win them all."

SANA had claimed that two US soldiers were missing in action after their vehicle was attacked by unknown assailants on Monday near the al-Omar oil field in the Deir Ezzor area of eastern Syria. The agency reported that the vehicle was found completely destroyed and burned with no sign of the two soldiers.
The Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen news also reported the incident, even reporting names of the soldiers they claimed had been kidnapped.
Al-Mayadeen added that this is the third attack to target US forces in Syria in the past month. The other two reported attacks both were claimed to have occurred in Deir Ezzor as well and included one incident in which a US officer and two militants from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed and another incident in which an American convoy came under attack.
The SDF denied the report about deaths of the US officer and SDF militants, according to Al Masdar news. The reported attack on the American convoy was denied by the international coalition spokesman.