Syria protests against US helicopters attack

Source: Agencies  |   2008-10-27  |     ONLINE EDITION

SYRIA yesterday summoned the US charge d'affaires to Damascus and protested against a US helicopters attack on its civilians earlier in the day.

Eight Syrian civilians were killed in a US helicopters attack in a Syrian farm near its border with Iraq on Sunday afternoon, according to the official SANA news agency.

"Syria condemns and denounces this act of aggression and holds the US forces responsible for this aggression and its repercussions," an official was quoted as saying.

Syrian deputy foreign minister summoned the charge d'affaires of the US embassy in Damascus, informing him of Syria's condemnation and complaint of this dangerous aggression, holding the US administration fully responsible for it, said the report.

Meanwhile, Syria summoned the Iraqi charge d'affaires for the same purpose, demanding Iraq to prevent the use of its territory to attack Syria.

"Syria also demands the Iraqi government to assume its responsibilities and make an immediate investigation into this dangerous violation and prevent the use of the Iraqi lands from launching aggression on Syria," SANA said.

"Four US military helicopters violated the Syrian airspaces at 4:45 pm (1345 GMT) in al-Boukamal, 8 km deep at the al-Sukariah farm," an official media source was quoted as saying. Al-Boukamal is a main border crossing from Syria to Iraq.

"The four helicopters launched aggression on a civilian building under construction and opened fire against the workers inside the building, among them the wife of the building's guard," said the source.

The attack killed eight citizens and wounding one and the US helicopters then left for the Iraqi lands, added the source.

SANA identified the eight killed citizens as Daoud Mohammad al-Abdullah and his four sons, Ahmad Khalefa, Ali Abbas and his wife.

An earlier report by the independent Damaspost website put the death toll at seven with four injured.