US-led coalition airplanes struck positions of the Syrian army in the country's eastern province late Sunday

Damascus: US-led coalition airplanes struck positions of the Syrian army in the country's eastern province late Sunday, local media reported.

The airstrike caused casualties for the Syrian army in the Ayash area in the country's eastern province of Deir al-Zour, though the exact number was unknown, Xinhua cited pro-government Sham FM radio as saying.

The attack was the first of such incidents to have targeted the Syrian government troops since the US-led coalition started its operations specifically against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria over a year ago.

Further details surrounding this incident are still forthcoming, the report said.

Syrian officials have repeatedly questioned the intention and the seriousness of the US coalition in the war on terror, especially after the recent involvement of the French and British warplanes in the coalition.

IANS