The United States lost one of its Predator drone aircraft over northwest Syria on Tuesday, U.S. officials said, as Syrian state media reported its air defenses brought down the spy plane in the government-controlled Latakia province.
If Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces took down the U.S. aircraft — something U.S. officials said was not immediately certain — it would raise the stakes in the U.S.-led bombing campaign against Islamic State militants that began in Syria in late September.
The United States has previously described Assad's air defenses as "passive," meaning they have not engaged the U.S.-led coalition's aircraft as American and other planes carry out strikes against militants.