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Article snippet: WASHINGTON — American warplanes in Syria attacked a pro-government convoy on Thursday after it ignored warnings and violated a restricted zone around a base where United States and British Special Forces train Syrian rebels to fight the Islamic State, Pentagon officials said. The American strike, corroborated by both pro- and anti-government fighters on the ground, was at least the third time in recent months that the United States military has attacked forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. On Thursday, American officials said, more than 20 vehicles drove within 18 miles of the al-Tanf base in southern Syria housing the American and British Special Forces, breaching the so-called deconfliction zone radius around the encampment. Low-flying American aircraft buzzed the convoy and fired a warning strike, trying to get the vehicles to reverse course, the Pentagon officials said, but when the convoy continued, the planes opened fire. Syrian opposition fighters said there were numerous casualties and several vehicles were hit, including at least four tanks. In a second encounter on Thursday, Pentagon officials said, a Syrian SU-22 fighter-bomber that had entered the deconfliction zone was intercepted by a pair of F-22 fighter jets, but it was not fired upon and left the area. American officials described the actions as protective responses, rather than a military escalation by the United States. “We are not increasing our role in the Syrian civil war, but... Link to the full article to read more