Two armed US Predator drones crash in Iraq, Turkey: Military
The US Air Force has lost control of two Predator drones, equipped with deadly munitions, in Turkey and Iraq, the US military said.
In the first incident which occurred on October 17, a Predator’s crew reported a "lost link and subsequent crash while the Predator was flying southeast of Baghdad," military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said Wednesday.
Local Iraqi police returned the aircraft to US control after recovering it in the vicinity of al-Kut, a city in eastern Iraq. No injuries were reported, Warren said.
In another incident on October 19, the remotely piloted MQ-1 Predator "crashed" in southern Turkey, he said. According to local media, the drone came down in Turkey's southern Hatay Province.
"The aircraft experienced mechanical failure. The Air Force in this case maintained positive control of the aircraft and brought it down safely in an unpopulated area," Warren said.
The unmanned aircraft was again returned to US Air Force control. Both incidents are under investigation, according to Warren.
Earlier in October, American media reports said that Russian fighter jets intercepted US MQ-1 Predator drones in Syrian airspace.
The Associate Press also quoted US military spokesperson Naval Captain Jeff Davis as saying that at least one American military aircraft had been forced to divert its route while flying over Syria in order to avoid making contact with a Russian jet.
The Syrian airspace has recently become too crowded with various aircraft, including military cargo planes, warplanes, UAVs, and strike drones. Military experts warned over the last few weeks that a major conflict could be triggered due to the presence of too many aircraft in the sky.
The US has been leading a 60-plus member coalition in Iraq and Syria and has been carrying out frequent raids for more than a year, allegedly pounding Daesh (ISIL) positions.
Russia also launched its air campaign against Daesh Takfiri terrorists in Syria on September 30 after warning the US to take its warplanes out of the territory. The Pentagon, however, refused to comply with the demand.
US and Russian military officials signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday that they hope would prevent inadvertent clashes between their fighter jets in the skies over Syria.
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