Syria
More than
5,000 rounds of depleted uranium (DU) ammunition were used in two
attacks on Islamic State oil tankers in eastern Syria, the US
military has confirmed. The US-led coalition previously pledged it
would not use the controversial ordnance.
A spokesman
for the US Central Command (CENTCOM) told Foreign Policy that 5,265
armor-piercing DU rounds were used in November 2015, during two air
raids against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) oil tanker
convoys in the Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah provinces in eastern Syria.
A-10 ground
attack aircraft fired the projectiles from their 30mm rotating
cannons, destroying about 350 tanker trucks, according to CENTCOM
spokesman Major Josh Jacques.
In March
2015, spokesman for the US-led coalition John Moore had explicitly
ruled out the use of the controversial ammunition, saying that “US
and coalition aircraft have not been and will not be using depleted
uranium munitions in Iraq or Syria during Operation Inherent
Resolve.” The Pentagon explained that armor-piercing DU rounds
were not necessary because IS did not have the tanks it was designed
to penetrate.
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