The US Shot Down a Mysterious Enemy Drone Over Syria

A US Air Force F-15 jet fighter has shot down a large, armed drone that attacked pro-US forces near At Tanf, a strategic town in southeastern Syria near the border with Iraq.

The aerial clash on June 8, 2017 was the first time that an American warplane had engaged an armed enemy drone in the sky—and could be a preview of dangers to come as more and more rogue states acquire cheap, sophisticated, armed robotic aircraft.

It's unclear who operated the drone, which US Central Command—the regional headquarters that oversees the wars in Iraq and Syria—described as "pro-regime." The Syrian government, pro-government militias and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group that has intervened in Syria on behalf of the government, all possess Iranian-made drones.

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