This file photo taken on April 25, 2017 shows a US officer, from the US-led coalition, speaking with a fighter from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) at the site of Turkish airstrikes near northeastern Syrian Kurdish town of Derik.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
DAMASCUS, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army on Friday confirmed reports about a U.S.-led airstrike on a Syrian military convoy near the Iraqi borders on Thursday, saying the U.S. attempt will not terrorize the army from continuing to fight the terrorist groups.
In a statement, the army said the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition attacked one of the military positions near the Tanf area in the Syrian desert near the Iraqi borders on Thursday afternoon, leaving a number of "martyrs and some material losses."
The army described the attack as a "flagrant aggression," adding that it exposes the "false allegations of the coalition about fighting terrorism."
A day earlier, the U.S.-led coalition struck Syrian forces near Tanf, as the forces were advancing toward an area controlled by the U.S.-led rebels, where British and U.S. bases are reportedly located in Tanf.
Reports said the coalition fired warning shots to prevent the army forces from advancing before hitting the convoy.
The statement said the U.S. claims that they have warned the forces from advancing before firing are completely rejected.
"The Syrian army is fighting terrorist groups on its ground, and no force has the right to determine the fronts on which the army fight the terrorist groups," the statement said.
It added that "those who claim to be fighting terrorist groups, should not fire at the Syrian army because it's the legitimate force fighting the terrorist groups, but should direct their fire against the terrorist groups."
The statement stressed that the Syrian army will continue the war on the terrorist groups and the U.S. attack will not terrorize the army from continuing the battles on terrorism.
