Russian Federation called an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council over the incident Saturday night, and its Defense Ministry accused the United STates of violating the cease-fire.
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Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) shot down a Syrian warplane on Sunday as regime forces regained ground lost to the extremists following a US -led airstrike that hit government forces the day before, state media said.
The seven-day cease-fire is supposed to end at midnight Sunday, according to a Syrian army statement issued last week. Syria claimed the strike was carried out by four us jets – two F-16 fighters and two A-10 ground-attack aircraft – flying from the Iraqi border.
Moscow laid the blame squarely on the opposition after activists reported the strikes Sunday, the first since the weeklong cease-fire went into effect. She said USA officials were investigating the incident.
The US Central Command acknowledged the strike, in eastern Syria’s Deir al-Zour province, saying it was “halted immediately” when US forces were informed by Russian Federation “that it was possible the personnel and vehicles targeted were part of the Syrian military”.
The Syrian army took control of key strategic hill tops from the Islamic State group on Saturday, after the US-led coalition bombing of its bases yesterday forced the Syrian army to pull back its troops.
The Foreign Ministry has demanded full and detailed explanation from Washington over the incident in Deir ez-Zor, in which 62 Syrian troops were killed and over 100 injured.
Iran is a close ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and has sent high-ranking officers and other military forces to bolster his troops.
Russian Federation said the United States was being obstructive and deceptive regarding the air strike.
The United Nations Security Council has scheduled a closed emergency meeting at Russia’s request to discuss the incident.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power also expressed regret for the loss of life, but also accused Russian Federation of pulling a “stunt” by calling for an emergency Security Council meeting over the incident.
American military officials say the pilots believed that they were targeting ISIS military installations.
The US has admitted that Saturday’s attack, meant to target Isil positions, may have hit government troops by accident.
Global monitors say the Syrian city of Aleppo has been hit by air strikes for the first time since last Monday’s truce.
The Saturday strike was the first known instance in which Syrian government military personnel were struck by USA aircraft, US officials said.
The United States claims that it ended to the attack immediately after Russian Federation alerted coalition officials that they were hitting Syrian troops, 55 minutes into an operation set to take 67 minutes.
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The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the jet came down in the Jebel Tharda area, near the government’s military airport.
