Russia’s Defence Ministry says the error is evidence of the US’s “stubborn refusal” to co-ordinate its actions against ISIS with Russia’s government.
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The plane went down in Jebel Tharda, overlooking the strategically important airport, in an area near a Syrian Army base which ISIS captured only yesterday, after the US-led coalition accidentally repeatedly bombed the base for over 20 minutes, killing some 83 soldiers, and wounding over 100 others.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency on Sunday quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying the move violated Syria’s sovereignty and “showed that terrorist groups enjoy USA support in Syria”.
The strikes “put in jeopardy everything that has been reached by the global community within the framework of the worldwide Syria Support Group, the UN Security Council and on a bilateral basis”, added Maria Zakharova, a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry.
Also speaking on Press TV’s program ‘The Debate, ‘ Frederick Peterson pointed to the bombardment of the Syrian base in Dayr al-Zawr, and said, “Although the explanations behind the fact are to be examined and yet revealed, it is in fact a direct violation of that ceasefire agreement, putting into jeopardy the subsequent implementation of that agreement”.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that several people were wounded, but could not immediately give details about casualties or identify who carried out the strikes.
The dispute should further complicate humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria, including its largest pre-war city Aleppo, where the fragile truce is under threat.
The U.S. military has said it might have mistakenly struck Syrian troops while carrying out an air raid against IS in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour.
Russian Federation said 62 soldiers were killed in the strikes, while the UK-based Observatory said the attack left at least 90 dead.
Heavy clashes continued on Sunday east of Damascus in the rebel-held Jobar suburb, the Observatory and a witness said.
“Today was the highest death toll since the truce began”.
“The truce, as we have warned – and we told the [US] state department – will not hold out”, a senior rebel official in Aleppo said, pointing to the continued presence of a United Nations aid convoy at the Turkish border awaiting permission to enter.
Rebels have also accused Russian Federation of using the ceasefire to give the Syrian army and allied militias a chance to regroup and deploy forces.
One Turkish soldier and six Syrian rebels were wounded on Sunday in clashes with Islamic State near the Syrian border town of al-Rai as Turkey-backed Syrian rebels pushed south towards the IS-held town of al-Bab, Turkey’s Dogan News agency reported.
IS is excluded from the truce.
Russia said it was “deeply concerned”, warning that Washington would have to reign in rebels fighting Assad “otherwise, the realisation of Russia-US agreements. could be put in danger”.
The ceasefire came into effect on Monday, and if it lasts seven days, Russian Federation and the United States are to work together to target the extremist Islamic State and Al Nusra front.
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Syria’s UN ambassador accused the United States on Sunday of seeking the failure of a ceasefire in his country and backing the Islamic State group with a US-led coalition strike on Syrian soldiers.
