Page 95 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)
P. 95
the great
escape
Turkish tank columns, accompanied by pro- drove out. Prior to this commanders in the prompting one of the agency’s Sikorsky S-92
Turkish Syrian militia fighters pushed across Special Operation Joint Task Force – Operation helicopters to make a dash into the danger
the border around the towns of Ras al-Ayn Inherent Resolve (SOJTF-OIR) headquarters zone to bring out American ‘operators’. A video
and Tell Abyad. Small contingents of US at a US facility near Erbil in Iraq had arranged clip posted online showed the civilian-crewed
troops had occupied bases near each of these for fighter jets and MQ-9 Reaper drones to helicopter flying between buildings to land
locations but days before the Turkish attack be overhead to protect their withdrawal. at the CIA enclave in a downtown district.
they had been pulled back to larger American The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) With fighting raging across northern Syria,
stations further south. The US troops simply station in Qamishli was caught in the crossfire President Trump ordered the 1,000 US troops
piled into their armoured troop carriers and when Turkish artillery opened fire on the city, left in Syria to be evacuated from the country
www.Key.Aero #383 February 2020 // 93
06/01/2020 10:41:23
92-97 Syria AFM Feb2020.indd 93 06/01/2020 10:41:23
92-97 Syria AFM Feb2020.indd 93
