Residents of northeastern Syria town speak out after clashes with US forces: video

Locals in a village east of the town of Qamishli in north-eastern Syria spoke out on Thursday at the funeral of a young man killed during a confrontation with US troops the day before.

Othman Abu Asher, the former municipality officials describes the events: “Four American vehicles entered our village and started provoking the residents, so the residents of Khirbet Amo village confronted them with stones, children and women joined too, as you might have seen on TV. The martyr Faisal Khaled Mohammad confronted them with stones, and one American soldier shot him.”

The uncle of 22-year old Faisal Khalid Muhammad, who was killed in clashes with US troops in the village of Khirbet Amo on Wednesday says: “We will fight the Americans and resist them wherever they exist in Syria, even if it leads to martyrdom.”

“We reject the American occupation wherever it exists in Syria. We, in the village of Khirbet Amo, absolutely reject the presence of any occupier in Syria,” said a cousin of Muhammad.

According to official military spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), Myles Caggins, US-led coalition forces had encountered a checkpoint manned by “pro-Syrian” government forces. Caggins says the US patrol came under fire from unknown individuals. “In self-defence, coalition troops returned fire,” he said.

In an updated Twitter statement, Caggins said “Despite US troops de-escalation efforts, local militia members attacked US troops with small arms weapons; CJTFOIR [Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve] have the right to self-defense and fired back at armed aggressors killing an adult male combatant (20+ y/o).”

On Thursday, Myles Caggins said that “at the Qamishli incident, one U.S. Soldier had a minor superficial scratch while operating their equipment. The Soldier is back at work.”

Credit: Ruptly