The official said that the injuries occurred when one of the Russian vehicles apparently deliberately collided with the American vehicle causing the crew to suffer “concussion-like injuries.” Initial reports indicate as many as four Americans may have been injured.
The officials said a Russian military helicopter flew low and fast over the area in a tactic that is often used by military forces to try to disperse personnel on the ground.
Despite US military leadership at the highest levels being aware of the incident within a short time of it occurring, the Pentagon has still not publicly acknowledged that Americans were hurt, the officials said.
The Pentagon and US-led military coalition fighting ISIS in Syria did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the incident.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley spoke with his counterpart, Chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov by telephone on Wednesday, according to Milley’s spokesperson.
The spokesperson provided no details of the call citing past practice.
US military personnel in Syria have often found themselves operating in close proximity to Russian troops who are backing the Syrian regime, but this is believed to be the first time US troops have been injured in an encounter with Russian forces.
One official emphasized that Tuesday’s incident occurred in the established security zone in eastern Syria where US and Syrian Democratic Forces regularly operate, adding that the Russians are aware they are under obligation to deconflict their operations with the US in that area.
US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper had a phone call with his Russian counterpart Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu last week to discuss “ways of mutual trust and transparency enforcement — in order to prevent accidents occurring during both countries’ military activity,” according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Russian statement said that “the talk was held upon the US initiative.”
The Pentagon refused to issue a statement about the call but a Defense Department official confirmed to CNN that the call did take place without providing any additional details.
Moscow has long protested the presence of US troops in Syria where they primarily work with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to combat the remnants of ISIS.
Russia has particularly protested the presence of US and Kurdish forces in the vicinity of Syria’s oil fields, which the Syrian Democratic Forces are using to fund its operations and governance initiatives.
The oil fields were the site of a clash between US forces and Russian mercenaries in 2018 when the latter group sought to seize the oil fields.
The US military believes Russia has been granted contracts by the regime in Damascus to develop the oil fields under the control of the Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces and is eager to eject the US and its local allies from the area.