US says it 'has nothing' to do with helicopters that crashed with PKK terrorists onboard

WASHINGTON

The Pentagon said Tuesday that the US has nothing to do with two helicopters that crashed in northern Iraq carrying members of the YPG/PKK terror group which uses the name, SDF.

When asked by Anadolu if the US had a military role in the alleged training of the helicopter pilots and if funds used in the mission were provided by the US, Pentagon Spokesman Brig. Gen Pat Ryder said the SDF conducts its operations.

"The United States had nothing, no participation whatsoever in the SDF helicopter flights. The SDF is its own force, they conduct their own operations, we do partner with the SDF on Defeat ISIS operations regularly," Ryder told reporters.

"But again, there was no US or coalition involvement in the helicopter incident, nor do we have any knowledge either before that mission took place," he added.

Anadolu also asked how confident the US was that funds provided by Washington would not be used by the SDF against Türkiye.

"We train a lot of forces around the world, many of which conduct their own operations. But again, in this case, again, we had no involvement," he said.

The chopper crashed in the Duhok region Wednesday. One day later Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) said some on board were members of the PKK terror group.

Initial findings indicate that it was a Eurocopter AS350 helicopter and some of the victims were PKK terrorists.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.