Russian involvement in the 4½-year-old Syrian civil war seems to be escalating, with NATO’s secretary general confirming Tuesday a second incursion by Russian planes into Turkish airspace and saying Russian ground troops were in Syria as well.
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Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of the 28-nation military bloc, also said the alliance had reports of a substantial Russian military build-up in Syria, including ground troops and ships in the eastern Mediterranean.
U.S. and Russian officials held discussions last week – at Russia’s request – on establishing accident-avoidance measures so that warplanes flying over Syria would not be in the same place at the same time.
Stoltenberg said Russian Federation had not provided “any real explanation” for the violation, which “lasted for a long time”. “That is why we are in favor of broader worldwide cooperation”, Antonov said according to a Defense Ministry meeting transcript.
Syria’s air force is hitting both Islamic State and anti-government rebels, all of whom Assad has labeled “terrorists” with a broad brush. Moscow says it is attacking Islamic State but the West has accused it of striking other rebel groups to prop up its ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The group has also destroyed archaeological and cultural heritage that it considers idolatrous in acts calculated to garner headlines and propaganda value, experts say.
Assad said Sunday that the whole Middle East would be destroyed if Russia’s aerial bombardment of militants opposed to his government does not succeed.
It was the second successive harassment of Turkish planes reported by Turkey.
The skies in the area have seen incidents in the past. His comments come amid growing anger in Ankara over the move, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan warning Russian Federation on Tuesday that it could lose its friendship over the issue. “They owe us a response”, Carter said earlier Tuesday at a Spanish-US air base at Moron de la Frontera in southern Spain. However, Stoltenberg said there was a growing presence of Russian forces in Syria.
About such Russian military maneuvers, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation chief said they have seen that Russian forces gather and get strong in Syria but they can not give the figures.
Syrian opposition groups, however, say Russia’s military involvement is aimed not at crippling Daesh but at propping up the embattled Assad regime. The Observatory said at least 19 IS members were killed, including four in Raqqa in an airstrike that hit two vehicles and an arms depot.
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WASHINGTON (AP) – Russia’s entry into the crowded and sometimes uncoordinated air wars in Syria is making the USA increasingly nervous, reflecting concern at the Pentagon and in Europe about the risk of accidents or unintended conflict. It has also deployed temporary housing units, a portable air traffic control station and components for an air defence system. “They are afraid of the Syrian army having stepped up activities on all fronts and of Russian airstrikes”, the RIA source said.
