The US military shot down a drone belonging to Nato ally Turkey in northern Syria, as Ankara increased retaliation for a bombing in the Turkish capital claimed by Kurdish militants. Turkey denied ownership of the drone, but Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder said the armed aircraft was Turkish and was posing a threat to US forces. He said Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and “underscored the importance of close coordination between the United States and Turkey to prevent any risk to US forces”.
