US aircraft on Thursday struck pro-regime forces inside Syria as they advanced into an established “de-confliction zone” and posed a threat to US ground forces. The strike near At Tanf occurred after Russian officials pressed the pro-regime forces to stop their advance, according to a US Central Command statement. An aircraft conducted a show of force, and fired warning shots, and the forces continued their advance before the airstrikes. US and partner nations had been at At Tanf “for many months” training vetted partner forces, CENTCOM said. The strike hit a tank and two earth movers that were constructing fighting positions, a defense official told USA Today. There was no estimate of casualties as of Thursday afternoon.
The Air Force is seeking funding to let its pilots fly a little more than 1.1 million hours in fiscal 2027, which would be the most in about four years. But even if Airmen actually do fly all 1.1 million hours, it would still be short of the 1.3 million…