US helicopters attack Syrian farm, 8 dead - Syria

BADLANDS: The US has often criticized Syria for not doing enough to stop militants crossing the border. (AFP)

US military helicopters attacked a farm in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border on Sunday, killing eight civilians, including five members of the same family, Syria said.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry summoned the US charge d'affaires in Damascus to protest over raid, Syria's state news agency SANA reported after state television said US soldiers stormed a building in the area during the raid.

"Syria condemns this aggressive act and holds American forces responsible for this aggression and all of its repercussions," SANA said, quoting a government official. The Iraqi charge d'affaires had also been summoned.

SANA said four US helicopters had taken part in the raid on a civilian building under construction in the Bou Kamal border area, in eastern Syria. Bou Kamal is the main crossing point into Iraq from Syria.

Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Hughes, spokesman for US forces in western Iraq, said the US division that operates on the Iraqi side of the border was not involved in the incident.

A Pentagon spokesman in Washington said he had no immediate information on the reported strike but would check further. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe declined to comment on reports of the attack, as did the CIA.

The United States and the US-backed Iraqi government blame Syria for not doing enough to stop anti-US rebels, including al Qaeda fighters, from infiltrating over the border.

Witnesses said the attack in Mashahdeh village, 7km from the Iraqi border and 2km from Bou Kamal, took place at 5pm (1400 GMT).

"The helicopters carried out an attack on a civilian building under construction and opened fire on workers inside the building, including the wife of the building guard, leading to the [killing] of eight civilians," SANA said.

It said the dead included a man and his four children, and a married couple. They were all Syrian. Earlier, residents said the house belonging to the family was completely destroyed.

SANA said the helicopters then departed, heading for Iraq, adding that the target was Al-Sukkari farm near the border.

Syria called on the Iraqi government to carry out an immediate inquiry into the attack and to ensure that Iraq was not used for "aggression against Syria", SANA said.

Farhan Al-Mahalawi, mayor of the Iraqi border town of Qaim, told Reuters that US helicopters had struck a village on the Syrian side of the border. He said the village had been surrounded by Syrian troops.

An Iraqi security source in Baghdad confirmed that eight people were killed. (Reuters)

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