U.S. Says It Shot Down Drone That Attacked Fighters in Syria

The United States Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said in a statement that it wanted to keep the focus on fighting the Islamic State and was not looking for a confrontation with the Assad government -- or with the Russian and Iranian-backed forces that are supporting it. "The coalition does not seek to fight Syrian regime, Russian or pro-regime forces partnered with them. To protect the garrison at al-Tanf, the United States has warned Iranian-backed militias and Syrian forces to stay out of the "deconfliction" zone it has declared around the base. On June 6, the American-led coalition again bombed Iranian-backed fighters that ventured inside of the restricted area.