Share

At least 80 Syrian soldiers killed in US-led air strike

The official also denied some Syrian news reports that the us aircraft dropped incendiary bombs on the Syrian forces.

Advertisement

According to Russia’s foreign ministry, Lavrov called his United States counterpart to make the proposal on Saturday, and further suggested that documents related to the Syrian ceasefire agreement should be published to avoid “any double meaning” over how the deal should be implemented.

“Warplanes from the global anti-jihadist coalition carried out four air strikes today against Syrian forces surrounded by IS in the Deir Ezzor air base”, a Russian army statement said.

USA -led coalition airstrikes killed more than 60 Syrian government troops on Saturday, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said.

But it could deal a blow to a fragile ceasefire brokered by the USA and Russian Federation which has largely held for five days, despite dozens of alleged violations on both sides.

The attacks come only five days into the breakthrough ceasefire agreement orchestrated by the United States and Russian Federation with Moscow saying in a statement that they believe that the USA is responsible for the imminent breakdown of the agreement.

The Syrian military said the air strikes enabled an Islamic State advance on a hill overlooking the air base.

Syria’s army general command said in a statement the attack was “conclusive evidence” of U.S. support for Islamic State, noting that the strike was “dangerous and blatant aggression”.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it had sent an urgent message asking the UN Security Council to “condemn the United States aggression”, according to a report from Syria’s SANA official news agency.

“If the American side does not take the necessary measures to carry out its obligations. a breakdown of the ceasefire will be on the United States”, he said. Russia’s Defence Ministry said it believed the ceasefire had been breached 199 times by rebels, adding that the USA would be responsible if it were to collapse.

When asked if the incident ended the Syria deal between Moscow and Washington, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said: “This is a very big question mark”.

“If this airstrike was carried out due to an error in the coordinates of the target, it is a direct effect of (the) United States side’s unwillingness to coordinate its actions against terrorist groups with Russia”, Sputnik quoted the spokesman as saying.

It said the attack showed that the USA and its allies were not in fact interested in fighting terrorism.

She added: “After today’s attack on the Syrian army, we come to the bad conclusion that the White House is defending Islamic State”.

US Secretary of State John Kerry called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Saturday and urged him to press the rebels for safe passage guarantees, the Russian foreign ministry said. Churkin, for his part, cast doubt on the American claim that the airstrike was accidental.

A US defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the developing situation, said USA forces had been following what they thought were Islamic State militants for “some days”.

The official says the notification was sent through Russian Federation. “The U.S. will continue to pursue compliance with the Cessation of Hostilities as we continue military action against ISIL and Al Qaida”. The official says the notification was sent through Russian Federation.

A Russian Defense Ministry official said Syria has informed them that 62 of its soldiers were killed in the air strike. Russian Federation has been waging a year-old air campaign on behalf of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s forces and closely coordinates with them. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. Shortly after this, an urgent call came into the USA military command center in Qatar, which coordinates the aerial campaign in Syria and Iraq.

Rebels have also accused Russian Federation of using the ceasefire to give the Syrian army and allied Shi’ite militias a chance to regroup and deploy forces ready for their own offensives.

Syria’s army controls Deir al-Zor airport and parts of the city which are otherwise entirely surrounded by territory held by Islamic State. Fighting erupted overnight between rebels and pro-regime forces in the opposition-held suburb of Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Earlier today the Russians had to call off US -led airstrikes inside Syria that struck a convoy of Russian-backed Syrian troops.

“It is not possible for the party (Russia) that wages war against a people to strive to achieve a truce, as it is also not possible for it to be a sponsor of this agreement while it bombs night and day, while on the other side, the other party – America – has the role of spectator”, he said.

The ministry added that the Russian side had never been notified of United States plans to carry out bombings in the Deir al-Zor area.

Russian Federation and the United States brokered a cease-fire in Syria that took effect on Monday and has largely held despite dozens of alleged violations.

Advertisement

A key plank of the truce deal was the delivery of aid to areas including Aleppo, where an estimated 250,000 people in rebel-held areas of the city are living under the regime siege.

Spotlight on Syria as world leaders gather at United Nations