US Reacts Forcefully to Russian Threat to Treat US Planes in Syria as 'Targets'

The United States has responded forcefully to Russia's threat to treat U.S.-led coalition planes in the skies over Syria as targets, as tensions escalate in the 6-year Syrian conflict.

"We're going to do what we can to protect our interests," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Monday, defending the decision to shoot down a Syrian SU-22 jet that had bombed coalition partnered forces near the Syrian town of Tabqah.

"The Syrian regime … needs to understand that we will keep the right of self-defense of coalition forces aligned against ISIS," he said. The spokesman made clear, however, that the United States would continue to "work with partners" to counter the threat of the Islamic State in Syria.

Spicer said Monday that Washington would work to keep lines of communication open to, in his words, "de-conflict potential issues."

Earlier, General...