MOSCOW, August 27./TASS/. Two US armored vehicles pursued a Russian patrol convoy in Syria on Tuesday, the head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties, Alexei Posunko, told a briefing on Thursday.
After the convoy on a patrol duty "entered the zone of control of the international anti-terrorist coalition, two US MRAP armored vehicles began pursuing the convoy," he said. Further on the route, "the road was blocked by two more American armored cars," Posunko told the briefing.
Politico daily reported earlier this week, citing its unnamed source in the Pentagon, that four US military servicemen were diagnosed with "mild concussion-like symptoms" after a Russian military vehicle crashed into their patrol vehicle in the northeastern part of Syria.
Washington claimed that Russia violated de-conflicting protocols during the incident in northeastern Syria, in which the US troops were injured. National Security Council Spokesman John Ullyot said that "during this interaction, a Russian vehicle struck a Coalition Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) causing injuries to the vehicle’s crew." In order to de-escalate the situation, the coalition’s patrol left the area.
The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, said that the coalition forces had been notified in advance about the passage of a convoy of Russian military police and that Russian military had acted in response to attempts by the US to block the passage of the Russian convoy in violation of the agreements.