US says did not warn Syrian government of Islamic State raid

The United States did not warn the Syrian government in advance or coordinate with it on a US special forces raid that killed a senior Islamic State leader in Syria, the White House said on Saturday.

"The US government did not coordinate with the Syrian regime, nor did we advise them in advance of this operation," said White House National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan.

"We have warned the Assad regime not to interfere with our ongoing efforts against ISIL inside of Syria," she said, using an alternative acronym for Islamic State. "The Assad regime is not and cannot be a partner in the fight against ISIL."  

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