Europe criticizes U.S. air raid in Syria

PARIS, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- The European Union has criticized the U.S. military raid targeting suspected terrorists in Syria.

France, the current holder of the rotating EU presidency, criticized the U.S. helicopter attack on a Syrian village near the border with Iraq, which, according to Damascus, left at least eight people dead.

National boundaries had to be treated with "strict respect," a statement from French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office read. It called for "light to be shed" on Sunday's cross-border raid and added that Paris "deplores the loss of Syrian civilians."

Russia, the Arab League and Iran, Egypt and China already have criticized the U.S. move, which Washington claims killed a leading al-Qaida terrorist whose network smuggled insurgents into Iraq. Washington previously has criticized Syria for not doing enough to halt the influx of terrorists from its territory.

Damascus has protested the unannounced violation of its territorial sovereignty, demanding an official apology. Syria might close its embassy in Washington, officials in Damascus have warned.