U.S. special raid in Syria reportedly kills at least 13.
Several residents told The Associated Press they saw body parts scattered around a house in the village of Atmeh, near the border with Turkey. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals following the raid, which they say involved helicopters, explosions and machine-gun fire.
Debris and rubble are seen in the aftermath of a counterterrorism mission conducted by U.S. Special Operations Forces in Atmeh, Syria, ON February 3, 2022 in this picture obtained from social media. Courtesy of Mohamed Al-Daher via Reuters
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of sources on the ground in Syria and has been a largely reliable source of information during the grinding civil war in the country, said the strike left at least 13 people dead, including four children and three women. The "White Helmets," a volunteer rescue agency, said four women and six children were killed.
Images purported from the aftermath of the raid quickly appeared on social media showing the bodies of victims, including small children.
Ahmad Rahhal, a citizen journalist who visited the site in Idlib province, reported seeing 12 bodies. Others were reportedly still under the rubble.
The raid was in Syria's rebel-held northwest province of Idlib, which is home to several top al Qaeda operatives. The Reuters news agency reported that the raid lasted two hours or more and a suspected al Qaeda-affiliated jihadist was thought to have been the target.
The Pentagon provided no details on who the raid targeted or whether anyone on the ground was killed or injured.
