A Russian fighter jet harassed and flew "dangerously close" to a U.S. drone over Syria, the U.S. military said, deploying a flare that "severely" damaged the drone and forced it to return to its home base.

The MQ-9 drone was flying on a "defeat-ISIS mission" on Sunday, Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, the head of U.S. Air Forces Central, said in a news release Tuesday. These types of drones are unmanned aircraft that can be armed but are primarily used as "intelligence collection" assets, CBS News previously reported .

According to the news release, the Russian fighter jet approached the drone Sunday […]

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By Donato