WASHINGTON, Oct 27: US forces in Iraq staged a “successful” raid into Syria against foreign fighters, an American official said on Monday, as a furious Damascus accused Washington of “terrorist aggression”.

Among those believed killed, the official said, was Abu Ghadiya, “one of the most prominent foreign fighter facilitators in the region.”

“The operation was successful,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity. He is believed to have been killed.” It was the first confirmed US action of its kind into Syrian territory amid frosty relations between Washington and Damascus.

“We consider this criminal and terrorist aggression,” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told a news conference in London after talks with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

“Killing civilians in international law means a terrorist aggression,” added Muallem, whose country’s official media said eight civilians were killed, including children.

Asked if Syria would use force if the Americans mounted a similar operation again, he said: “As long as you are saying if, I tell you, if they do it again, we will defend our territories.”

The Syrian minister said that four US helicopters had crossed the border on Sunday afternoon. Two landed at a village in northeast Syria while the other two aircraft protected them.

Soldiers emerged after the helicopters landed and started shooting at civilians working on farms, including a father and his three children and a fisherman, he said.

“All of them are civilians, Syrian, unarmed and they are on the Syrian territories,” Muallem told reporters.

Hundreds of villagers took part on Monday in funerals for seven of those killed in the raid, chanting anti-American slogans. —AFP