He said the timing of the air strike is “frankly suspicious” because it comes just two days before the United States and Russian Federation were supposed to implement an agreement on military co-ordination in Syria and the USA had not previously targeted IS forces fighting Syrian government troops.
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All the warring parties are also sworn enemies of Islamic State, whose territory extends along the Euphrates valley from the Iraqi border, including around Deir al-Zor, up to land near Syria’s frontier with Turkey.
“A Syrian warplane belonging to the Syrian regime was brought down when targeted by fighters from the Islamic State in the city of Deir Deir Ezzor”, Amaq said.
The Britain-based monitoring group said 90 soldiers were killed in Saturday’s air strike, sharply higher than the death toll of 62 given by Moscow on Saturday.
ISIL claims to have shot down a Syrian military jet in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
But a senior USA defense official told NBC News the US military had gone “above and beyond” the requirements under the current memorandum of understanding between the US and Russia when it informed the Russian military in advance they were about to strike what was believed to be an ISIS target.
The United States has apologised for an air strike against Syrian government forces fighting the Islamic State group.
Syria’s army has been fighting off a fierce Islamic State offensive around the Deir al-Zor airport since a year ago.
He added that the USA continues to gather information about the strike inside Syria that drew Russian and Syrian outrage. The Observatory said at least 30 extremists were killed in Sunday’s counterattack by the army.
SANA quotes an unnamed military official as saying Sunday that dozens of IS fighters were killed in the offensive under the cover of Syrian airstrikes.
“The situation in Syria is worsening”, Russian General Vladimir Savchenko said in a televised briefing earlier.
“In the past 24 hours, the number of attacks have risen sharply”, with 55 attacks on government positions and civilians, killing 12 civilians.
The ceasefire has so far lasted five days.
Russian Federation said even if the bombing was a mistake, it showed Washington’s refusal to coordinate its military actions with Russian Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already questioned USA commitment to the ceasefire, claiming Washington was not prepared to break with “terrorist elements” battling Bashar al Assad’s forces.
The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for Saturday night at Russia’s request to discuss the strike.
Mr Churkin said if Ms Power’s actions were any indication of Washington’s possible reaction then the ceasefire agreement is “in serious trouble”.
In the conflict, Moscow supports President Bashar al-Assad, while Washington backs some rebel groups fighting to oust the Syrian leader.
Implementing the truce has been complicated by the presence of jihadists not covered by the ceasefire and mainstream rebels on some of the same frontlines.
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The truce excludes operations against Islamic State and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, a former al-Qaeda-linked group previously known as the al-Nusra Front.
