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What happened near Khasham on 8 February 2018?
Summary
A look back at the ground assault on a Syrian Democratic Forces headquarters in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, and the US strikes that surrounded it.
What happened near the town of Khasham, in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, on 8 February 2018? A force of five hundred Syrian pro-government troops, supported by tanks and artillery, launched a ground assault on a local headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
More than one hundred Syrian government fighters were killed in the battle, including Russian private military contractors of the Wagner Group.
The strikes on the day before
The fighting was reported alongside an announcement made on 7 February 2018. United States Central Command said it had killed more than 100 pro-government troops in what it described as "self-defense" strikes. It placed them 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) east of the Euphrates de-confliction line, which had reportedly been agreed with Russia.
Taken together, the reports describe a clash in which pro-government forces, including Russian contractors, attacked a Syrian Democratic Forces position and suffered heavy losses, with US forces involved through the strikes announced by Central Command.
