![]() ![]() During a lull in the artillery barrage, Andrew got on the radio with the commandos’ commander, who “ sparkled” them into the perimeter using an infrared laser. Without heavy weapons, they could do nothing but hunker down. Inside the compound, the commandos and their SDF allies were dug in. “Because of what was coming over the radio, I was like, ‘We have to get there for our dudes.’” “I made peace with what was about to happen,” Josh says. The commandos could feel the sound in their chests. ![]() It felt like being in the front row of an arena rock show. Every time the commandos keyed their mics, explosions from incoming rounds drowned out their transmissions. Over the radio, they heard the American commando force in the refinery. ![]() The team that took on the Wagner Group in Syria. This is the first public, on-the-record account from participants of one of the deadliest battles the American military has faced in Syria since they deployed to fight ISIS in September 2014 under the Obama administration. While the group included some Syrian government soldiers and militias, American military and intelligence officials determined the majority were private Russian paramilitary mercenaries, likely affiliated with the Wagner Group, a company frequently used by the Kremlin to carry out objectives without appearing to be directly linked to the Russian government.Įxclusive interviews with three former Special Forces soldiers who fought in the battle reveal some of the first details about the clash from American troops on the ground. Documents obtained by The New York Times referred to the fighters at the refinery as a “ pro-regime force,” loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. The Wagner Group seized oil and gas fields in Syria to protect them for the Assad government, with mercenaries earning a share of production proceeds, according to American intelligence officials. Army Green Berets conduct mounted vehicle maneuvers during a live-fire exercise near At-Tanf Garrison, Syria, April 12, 2020. ![]()
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