“Coalition forces believed they were striking a Daesh fighting position”, said a Pentagon statement, referring to the extremist group in its Arabic acronym.
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It was halted immediately after the coalition was notified by the Russians, the official said.
“Warplanes from the worldwide 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.
“Sixty-two Syrian soldiers were killed and a hundred others were injured in these strikes”.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian army later recaptured most of the positions it lost to IS.
The United Nations Security Council scheduled a closed emergency meeting for Saturday night at Russia’s request to discuss the airstrike.
He suggested Washington may be trying to maintain the combat potential of rebels fighting the Syrian government, adding the US government could not separate the so-called healthy part of the opposition from what he called “the half-criminal and terrorist elements”.
“The truce, as we have warned, and we told the (U.S.) State Department – will not hold out”, the rebel official said, pointing to the continued presence of a United Nations aid convoy at the Turkish border awaiting permission to travel to Aleppo.
The Syrian military said it viewed the strike as evidence the United States and the coalition support ISIS.
A fierce battle between the Syrian army and Islamic state militants was now under way, it said. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the airstrike near Deir el-Zour airport, held by the government, was conducted by two F-16s and two A-10s.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it sent an urgent message asking the Security Council to “condemn the USA aggression”, TASS reported, citing a statement released by Syria’s SANA news.
Even if the USA attack on Syrian forces was an error, Konashenkov said, it was a result of “stubborn reluctance by the American side to coordinate its action against terrorist groups in Syria with Russian Federation”.
The IS-linked Amaq news agency said coalition strikes hit IS positions, but that the jihadist group was able to “seize full control of Jabal Therdeh, which overlooks the Deir Ezzor airport”.
However, local activists in Deir ez-Zor reported that the coalition strikes on Saturday also killed dozens of ISIS militants.
It is hoped that the truce forged between the United States and Russian Federation will clear the way for negotiations about a political transition in Syria.
BEIRUT/BISHKEK Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday he remained “more positive than negative” over a shaky ceasefire in Syria, but a senior rebel in Aleppo warned the truce “will not hold out” as some fighting persisted and aid failed to come through.
Under the US-Russia deal, if the truce lasts seven days and humanitarian access is granted, Moscow and Washington are to work together to target jihadists including IS. “Russia is exerting all possible effort to restrain government troops from response fire”, said Poznikhir.
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“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”. However, aid convoys have been unable to enter rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo – a key component of the deal.
