Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to coordinate their military operations in Syria. Moscow has sent aircraft, air-defense systems and significant amounts of new equipment to reinforce Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s beleaguered regime.
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The Israeli leader said he wanted to be reassured that the result of the Russian buildup wouldn’t be to open a second front with Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons over Golan, which Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 Middle East War.
“As for Syria, we know and understand that the Syrian army and Syria on the whole is in a position when maintaining its own nationhood comes to the forefront, not opening a second front”, Putin said.
The Kremlin has said the heads of state would discuss “the relevant issues of bilateral cooperation and worldwide agenda” during their meeting at Putin’s residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, near Moscow.
The Foreign Ministry statement characterized the attack as a terrorist act by Syrian rebels.
Russian Federation ramped up its military buildup in Syria over the weekend, and there are now a total of 28 combat aircraft plus 16 helicopters on the ground, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports.
Israeli officials have repeatedly voiced concern that advanced Russian weapons supplied to Syria could end up in the hands of militant groups involved in the fighting there.
In an unusual move, Netanyahu was accompanied by his defence chief of staff, Lt Gen Gadi Eizenkot, and the head of military intelligence, Maj Gen Herzl Halevi, whose presence – according to Israeli analysts and media – underlined the seriousness of the discussions.
Some political observers suggested that Russian Federation may also want to target the opposition fighters in Syria, which are supported by the United States. While Israel has not taken responsibility for the attacks, Mr Netanyahu and other officials have said they will not allow Syria to deliver advanced weapons to Hizbullah, or allow the Lebanese militia to operate on Syria’s Golan frontier.
“As for shelling, we know, we condemn that shelling”.
Russian Federation has begun flying drones on surveillance missions in Syria, according to two US officials, in what appeared to be Moscow’s first military air operations inside the country since staging a rapid build-up at a Syrian air base.
Washington also asked Moscow about its intentions in Syria.
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“We’ve made clear both in public and in private that doubling down on supporting Assad is a losing bet”, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
