“Syria is a complex situation with various military forces and militias in close proximity, but coalition forces would not intentionally strike a known Syrian military unit”, the statement said citing officials.
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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least 83 soldiers were killed in the raids on Jabal Therdeh, southwest of the Deir Ezzor airport, updating an earlier toll of 30 killed.
The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of activists on the ground, said one girl was killed when missiles fired by rebels hit a village in the southern province of Quneitra.
The Syrian military said the deadly airstrike hit a base in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour that is surrounded by IS, allowing the extremists to advance and overrun Syrian army positions in the area. The Pentagon said it had no indication of a withdrawal.
As part of the truce deal, the rebels and the Syrian government are supposed to agree to the deployment of a security force to protect checkpoints along the route to Aleppo to ensure aid delivery to the city’s opposition sector, which has been besieged by Russian-backed government forces since July. Moscow wants the U.N. Security Council to endorse the agreement when it meets next Wednesday, according to Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
Over 2,000 people were killed in 40 days of fighting in Aleppo until the cease-fire went into effect Monday. Syria has long argued that American airstrikes in the country’s airspace are illegal because the Assad government has not invited the United States to intervene.
Gatilov’s remarks were reported on Thursday by the Interfax news agency.
The incident occurred as the United States and Russian Federation accused each other of not adhering to conditions of the truce which took effect earlier this week. The government controls the air base and parts of Deir el-Zour city, while IS controls the entire province by the same name.
Syria and Russian Federation earlier said jets from a US -led coalition had struck a Syrian army position near Deir al-Zor, killing scores and allowing Islamic State fighters to briefly overrun it.
The U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura says “we have a problem” on getting humanitarian aid into Syria, despite the U.S. -Russia brokered deal.
De Mistura says Thursday the Syrian government has not provided needed “facilitation letters” to allow for the start of United Nations -led aid convoys expected under the new cease-fire agreement.
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The U.N says some 20 trucks carrying U.N aid and destined for rebel-held Aleppo remained in the customs area on the border with Turkey on Wednesday. He says aid is expected to enter rebel-held Aleppo later Friday.
