The Central Command (CENTCOM) of the US Armed Forces, which is primarily responsible for the Middle East direction, confirmed that the US Air Force used ammunition with depleted uranium during its aerial attacks on positions of terrorists of the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, the TASS news agency reported.
“I can confirm the use of depleted uranium [in Syria],” spokesman for the US CENTCOM Maj. Josh Jacques told the news agency. “The combination of Armored Piercing Incendiary (DU) rounds mixed with High Explosive Incendiary rounds was used to ensure a higher probability of destruction of the truck fleet ISIS was using to transport its illicit oil.”
He noted that depleted uranium was used on November 16 and 22, 2016.
According to Jacques, in total, 5,265 30-mm armor-piercing flame projectiles were used during these operations. On November 16, 1,490 of 1,790 shelled projectiles contained the toxic material (46 vehicles were destroyed), and on November 22, 3,775 of 4,530 projectiles were filled with depleted uranium (293 vehicles were destroyed). This means that there were five projectiles with depleted uranium for every ordinary shell. The projectiles were used by four A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft of the US Air Force.
Earlier, the Pentagon denied the fact of usage of projectiles with depleted uranium by the US Air Force during the international anti-terrorist operations in Syria and Iraq.
