Intense air strikes over the past 24 hours have hit Islamic State controlled areas near Deir al Zor city, the Observatory and Syrian state media said.
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The US-Russia deal to bring peace to Syria seemed near collapse yesterday, as the two countries publicly accused each other of double-dealing and atrocities in the wake of an apparently mistaken US airstrike that killed dozens of Syrian soldiers.
But the strike sent tensions soaring between Moscow and Washington, the chief sponsors of the truce, casting further into doubt the likelihood that they will be able to work together to end Syria’s war.
The Syrian ceasefire was in danger of collapse last night after the United States admitted “unintentionally” killing about 80 government troops in air strikes.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that despite the strikes on the Syrians, Syrian government forces were principally behind the truce violations. Aid delivery to Aleppo is part of the U.S. -Russia cease-fire deal.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in NY on Sunday that as soon as the coalition commanders were advised by the Russians that Syrian forces were being affected, the operation ended.
“We consider that such an incident with a lot of victims only came about due to a lack of understanding of the context by the coalition’s command, and because of the refusal by the USA side to coordinate its actions against terrorist groups in Syria with Russian Federation”.
Following the strike, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting overnight at the request of the Kremlin.
The official said the notification was sent through Russian Federation, and that the United States will continue to pursue compliance with a cessation of hostilities as it continues military action against IS and an al-Qaida-affiliated group in Syria.
“That explanation must be given at the UN Security Council”, Zakharova added.
Ms Power told reporters: “Even by Russia’s standards tonight’s stunt – a stunt replete with moralism and grandstanding – is uniquely cynical and hypocritical”.
The Pentagon said the US strike has unintentionally targeted the Syrian government forces.
“Since 2011, the Assad regime has been intentionally striking civilian targets with horrifying, predictable regularity”. Government areas have been relying on aid that was being dropped from aircraft.
A statement from US Central Command said the coalition conferred with the Russian military before the strike.
Coalition forces say they were targeting what was thought to be an ISIL position. Instead, the government said it was “a very serious and flagrant aggression” that aided the IS and proved its long-held assertion that the USA supports the militant group as part of an effort to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
On Sunday, IS said it shot down a Syrian warplane near Deir Ezzor.
Earlier Sunday, the state-run SANA news agency quoted an unnamed military official as saying that dozens of ISIS fighters were killed in the offensive on Tharda mountain under the cover of Syrian airstrikes. The terror group claimed responsibility for the shootdown in a statement circulated online by the ISIS-affiliated Amaq agency.
Last Saturday 18th the United States launched a series of airstrikes against the lines of ISIS close to Deir Ezzor.
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Only a few days after the ceasefire treaty was signed by the highest USA and Russian officials, United States jets destroyed Syrian troops, helping ISIS to advance.
