U.S. forces shoot down Iranian drone in Syria

Feb. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. forces in northeast Syria shot down an Iranian drone that was conducting reconnaissance near a patrol base, U.S. Central Command announced.

The drone was shot down around 2:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday near Mission Support Site Conoco, Central Command said in a tweet.

American troops have remained in the country to support the Syrian Democratic Forces, while Iran provides backing to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Last month three drone attacks on an outpost in southern Syria injured several Syrian Democratic Forces fighters.

Two of the drones were shot down by coalition forces, but the third hit the compound of the At-Tanf Garrison. No U.S. military personnel were hurt, but two militia fighters required medical treatment, the U.S. Central Command said in a news release.

There has been an incident at Conoco before too. In August, Iranian forces launched a rocket attack at the site. In return, American troops killed four enemy fighters and destroyed several rocket launchers.