October 6, 2015 at 5:10 a.m.
| Updated October 6, 2015 at 5:10 a.m.
by
Associated Press
In this photo taken on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, Russian SU-24M jet fighter armed with laser guided bombs takes off from a runaway at Hmeimim airbase in Syria. The skies over Syria are increasingly crowded, and increasingly dangerous. The air forces of multiple countries are on the attack, often at cross purposes in Syria’s civil war, sometimes without coordination and now, it seems, at risk of unintended conflict. The latest entry in the air war is Russia. It says it is bombing the Islamic State in line with U.S. priorities, but the U.S. says Russia is mainly striking anti-government rebels in support of its ally, President Bashar Assad. The Russians, who are not coordinating with the Americans, reportedly also have hit U.S.-supported rebel groups. (AP Photo/Alexander Kots, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Photo via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The skies over Syria are increasingly crowded - and increasingly dangerous.
The air forces of multiple countries are on the attack, often at cross purposes in Syria's civil war, sometimes without coordination. Now, it seems, they are at risk of unintended conflict.
The latest entry in the air war is Russia. It says it is bombing the Islamic State in line with U.S. priorities, but the U.S. says Russia is mainly striking anti-government rebels in support of its ally, President Bashar Assad. The Russians, who are not coordinating with the Americans, reportedly also have hit U.S.-supported rebel groups.
That opens the possibility, however unlikely, of the Americans and Russians coming to blows.
Turkey joined the bombing in August as part of a U.S. coalition. Australia and France joined in September.
