Syrian TV showed footage of a compound and an injured woman US helicopter-borne troops have carried out a raid inside Syria along the Iraqi border, killing eight people including four children, Syrian officials say. The official Syrian news agency Sana said the raid took place in the Abu Kamal border area, in eastern Syria. It said that American soldiers on four helicopters had stormed a building under construction on Sunday night. The US says it is investigating. It has previously accused Syria of allowing foreign militants into Iraq. Syria has summoned the US and Iraqi envoys in Damascus to protest at the raid. "Syria condemns this aggressive act and holds American forces responsible for this aggression and all of its repercussions," a government official said. If confirmed, the raid would be the first known attack by US forces inside Syrian territory, says BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus. Its timing is curious, coming right at the end of the Bush administration's period of office and at a moment when many of America's European allies - like Britain and France - are trying to broaden their ties with Damascus, our correspondent adds. Crossing point "Four American helicopters violated Syrian airspace around 1645 local time [1345 GMT] on Sunday," Sana said. "American soldiers" emerged from helicopters and "attacked a civilian building under construction and opened fire on workers inside - including the wife of the building guard - leading to [the deaths] of eight civilians", it added. "The helicopters then left Syrian territory towards Iraqi territory," Sana said. The dead include a man, his four children and a married couple, the Syrian report said, without giving details of the children's ages. The village was named as Sukkiraya, 8km (5 miles) from the Iraqi border. A US military spokesman was unable to confirm or deny the reports, saying it was a "developing situation". But later the Associated Press news agency quoted an unnamed US military official in Washington as saying that American special forces had attacked foreign fighters linked to al-Qaeda. "We are taking matters into our own hands," the official said. The area is near the Iraqi border city of Qaim, a major crossing point for fighters, weapons and money travelling into Iraq to fuel the Sunni insurgency. The Iraqi city's mayor, Farhan al-Mahalawi, told Reuters news agency that US helicopters had struck a village on the Syrian side of the border, after which Syrian troops surrounded the site. Washington has in the past accused Damascus of turning a blind eye to the problem. Are you in the area? Have you seen or heard anything? Send your comments or pictures using the form below. Name:
Email address:
Town and Country:
Phone number (optional):
Comments:
The BBC may edit your comments and cannot guarantee that all emails will be published.
E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon What are these?
According to the Syrian government, United States military helicopters attacked a farm on the Syria-Iraq border. Earlier media reports called the helicopters "unidentified" which came into Syria from Iraq. The attack has caused some diplomatic stirs, and the Syrian government has called in a diplomat from the U.S..

The BBC News agency reports, quoting Syrian media, that at least seven people were killed when the helicopters attacked a farm along the Bou Kamal border with Iraq in the Syrian town of Al-Sukkariya. Among the dead were a man, four of his sons, and two farm workers. Other reports say at least nine were killed. At least 14 others were injured. Syrian media says all of those killed were civilians.

One report from ''Trend News'' says that Lebanese officials confirm that the raid was carried out by U.S. troops and that they were targeting alleged terrorists preparing to infiltrate Iraq.

The Syrian government state the strike was carried out by the U.S. military. Witnesses near the attack also say the helicopters appeared to be American and involved at least four helicopters, two of which landed. Further witness reports say that at least eight American soldiers proceeded to get off the helicopters. After allegedly attacking their target, all the soldiers returned to the helicopters which took off and left Syria.

According to ''PRESS TV'', Sergeant Brooke Murphy, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq, the military is investigating the incident. Meanwhile, Maura Connelly, a U.S. diplomat to Syria, was called to the country's foreign ministry to discuss the incident.

If the U.S. carried out the attack, it would be the first time any such attack was carried out inside Syria by U.S. forces.