US forces shoot down Iranian-made drone circling troop housing in Syria

U.S. forces on Tuesday took down an Iranian-made drone that was flying near a base in northeastern Syria in an attempt to conduct reconnaissance of the area.

U.S. Central Command said the drone was shot down around 2:30 p.m. local time near Mission Support Site Conoco.

Both the U.S. and Iran conduct counterterrorism operations in Syria and support groups in the county’s ongoing civil war.

American troops train and support Syrian Democratic Forces, who have fought against extremists aligned with ISIS, while Iran has long backed the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran are high amid the war in Ukraine, where Iranian-made explosive drones are wielded by Russian forces to bomb and attack Ukrainian cities.

Negotiations have also fallen apart recently between the U.S. and Iran to restart a pact that would lift sanctions on Tehran while ensuring the country doesn’t develop nuclear weapons.

The U.S. has recently fended off several attacks against American bases in Syria, including a trio of suicide drones last month that injured Syrian Democratic Forces fighters.

In August, U.S. forces also struck back at Iran-affiliated fighters after a rocket attack at Conoco, with American troops killing four enemy fighters and destroying several rocket launchers.