Australia has suspended all air operations over Syria in the wake of US forces downing a Syrian jet and a warning from Russian Federation that USA -led coalition planes are now targets for its forces in parts of the country.
Prior to shooting down the warplane, U.S. forces had struck pro-government soldiers three times in recent weeks to counter what officials said were attacks on US-backed troops in the country.
"As a precautionary measure, Australian Defence Force (ADF) strike operations into Syria have temporarily ceased", Australia's Department of Defence said in a statement.
In a statement about the Su-22 intercept, the combined joint task force leading Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) said in a statement that the USA -led coalition operating in Syria "will not hesitate" to defend itself or partner forces from any threat.
The incident has similar hallmarks to a June 8 shoot-down, when a US F-15 destroyed a pro-regime drone after it dropped what turned out to be a dud bomb near US-backed local forces.
The drone shot down on June 20 was "just outside" the deconfliction zone, according to USA officials who spoke to CNN.
Coalition aircraft conducted a show of force and stopped the initial pro-regime advance toward the town, the Pentagon said. That led Russian Federation, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, to warn that it would target US -led coalition planes flying west of the Euphrates River.
"It's important to point out that the incident that took place this weekend followed a combined arms movement by pro-regime forces".
This is the latest incident in the skies over Syria, after the U.S. shot down a Syrian fighter plane on Sunday and another drone earlier this month.
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The last drone the U.S. says it shot down was also reportedly destroyed near Tanf after firing on coalition forces.
The ministry also called on the USA military to provide a full account of why it chose to shoot down the Syrian SU-22.
Russia, which is flying its own air war in Syria to prop up President Bashar al-Assad, condemned the incident and said it had shut off a special "deconfliction" hotline with the U.S. military, though top officer General Joe Dunford later said the United States was seeking to re-establish the channel.
USA forces tangled earlier this month with Syria-allied aircraft in the region.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it viewed the incident as America's "deliberate failure to make good on its commitments" in deconfliction zones, warning it would, "view as targets any flying objects over Syria in the areas of the country where its air forces operate".
Israeli security officials said on Monday they were studying the missile strike to see what they could learn about its accuracy and capabilities.
BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian government troops and their allies have steadily positioned themselves in key areas on the flanks of the US -led coalition battle for the Islamic State's self-declared capital of Raqqa. "We do not seek conflict with any party in Syria other than Isis but we will not hesitate to defend ourselves or our partners if necessary".
Also on June 18, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it had deployed several "ground-to-ground, mid-range missiles" from a base in western Iran at ISIS forces in the Deir Ezzor region, marking the first time Iran had fired rockets at another country in three decades and a significant escalation of its military involvement in Syria's civil war.
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