U.S. Marines fire an M777-A2 Howitzer at an undisclosed location in northern Syria, on May 15, 2017. On Thursday, the U.S. military said it killed more than 100 Syrian government soldiers after an attack on anti-government forces. File Photo by Sgt. Matthew Callahan/U.S. Marine Corps/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. military said it killed more than 100 Syrian government soldiers on Thursday after an "unprovoked attack" against the U.S.-led coalition occupying Syria.

A U.S. military spokesman said the United States launched air and artillery strikes after Syrian government forces attacked a compound belonging to the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S. ally, in Khusham, Syria, Politico reported.


"Syrian pro-regime forces included approximately 500 personnel in a large, dismounted formation supported by artillery, tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems, and mortars," a U.S. military official said, according to Radio Free Europe.

"After 20 to 30 artillery and tank rounds landed within 500 meters of the SDF headquarters location, Syrian Democratic Forces supported by the Coalition targeted the aggressors with a combination of air and artillery strikes," a U.S. coalition statement said. "Coalition advisers were with the SDF in an advise, assist and accompany capacity, and this action was taken in self-defense."

No U.S. military members were injured in the clash. One SDF member was wounded.

A U.S. military official told CNN that the area where the U.S. coalition and SDF compound is located contains lucrative oilfields and the Syrian government forces "were likely seeking to seize oilfields in Khusham that had been a major source of revenue for [Islamic State] from 2014 to 2017."