US Denies Their Airstrike Hit Fighters In Syria

The F/A-18F Super Hornet is one of the aircraft used by the US in the fight against Islamic State. (Library picture: US Department of Defense).

The United States says they nor coalition forces were behind an airstrike that caused several casualties in eastern Syria.

An attack against pro-government forces in the village of al-Hari, south-east of the border town of Boukamal occurred around midnight according to state media.

A Syrian state television report claimed it was carried out by the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State group.

A coalition spokesman responded by stating it had not carried out any strikes in the area.

The TV report, quoting an unnamed military official, gave no breakdown of the casualties other than saying there were a "number of martyrs" and others were wounded.

Meanwhile, in Baghdad, Iraqi officials said Popular Mobilisation Forces - the mostly Shiite state-sanctioned paramilitaries - were attacked south of the town of Qaim, just across the border from Boukamal.

They said 20 fighters were killed and dozens wounded, adding that the cause of the attack was not immediately clear.

US military spokesman Colonel Sean Ryan said the coalition was looking into the reports:

"We are aware of the strike near Boukamal, however, there have been no strikes by US or coalition forces in that area," he said.

"We're looking into who that could possibly be but it wasn't the US or the coalition."

Syrian and Iraqi forces have driven IS from virtually all the territory it once held in both countries, but the militants still control some remote areas along the border.

Syrian troops and allied militias, backed by Russian airstrikes, have been conducting operations west of the Euphrates River, while the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led militia, is operating on the eastern banks.