US boosts surveillance amid Russian threats in Syria
Source: CNN
(CNN) — US forces in Syria have increased surveillance of Russian troop locations following Moscow's suggestion that US troops could get caught in Russian military operations, according to a US official directly familiar with US military planning.
The goal is to ensure that US forces continue to know the location of Russian forces, especially those in eastern Syria, at all times, said the official, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Surveillance and reconnaissance levels routinely fluctuate based on threats.
For now the military assesses that the Russians don't intend to attack US forces and that much of the rhetoric is politically driven. However, officials acknowledge they are a worried that a misunderstanding or poor Russian military skills could lead to an incident -- concerns that are driving the decision to boost surveillance.
The surveillance boost also comes just days after coalition and Russian generals met in an unprecedented face-to-face meeting to share greater detail about each side's operations, in part to avoid incidents like what happened last week, when a Russian warplane bombed US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces with US troops nearby.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/24/politics/us-boosts-surveillance-russia-syria/index.html