Syria’s army general command has said that US-led coalition jets bombed Syrian government forces’ positions near the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor
According to Syria’s official news agency SANA, warplanes from the U.S.-led coalition, supposedly fighting ISIS, bombed a Syrian army position at Jebel Tharda near Deir al-Zor military airport at 5 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Saturday.
The air strike killed Syrian soldiers who had been preparing for an attack against ISIS, and was “conclusive evidence” that the U.S. and its allies support the terrorist group, the Syrian army said in a statement
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
RT reports:
Sixty-two Syrian soldiers were killed and over 100 injured in the airstrike by the US-led coalition, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said, citing information received from the Syrian General Command.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that the aircraft which carried out the bombings had entered Syrian airspace from the territory of Iraq. The airstrike against Syrian positions was performed by two F-16 jet fighters and two A-10 support aircraft, it said.
Even if the bombardment of the Syrian government troops was a mistake, it’s still a consequence of Washington’s unwillingness to coordinate its anti-terror efforts with Moscow, the ministry said.
The Defense Ministry also confirmed a report by SANA that an Islamic State offensive began right after Syrian Army positions were hit from the air.
The actions of the coalition “clearly paved the way for Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists to attack the position and take control of it,” the agency said citing the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces.
The General Command has called the bombing a “serious and blatant aggression” against Syrian forces, and said it was “conclusive evidence” that the US and its allies support IS militants.
Earlier on Saturday, Russia accused the US of being reluctant to take measures to force rebels under its control to fall in line with the terms of the Syrian ceasefire.
Numerous Russian appeals to the American side remain unanswered, which “raises doubts over the US’s ability to influence opposition groups under their control and their willingness to further ensure the implementation of the Geneva agreements,” senior Russian General Staff official, Viktor Poznikhir, said.
Poznikhir also said that the truce is being used by the militants to regroup, resupply and prepare an offensive against government troops.
