Russia Deeply Concerned With US-Led Coalition Strike on Syrian Forces

Sputnik News

00:09 18.09.2016(updated 00:33 18.09.2016)

Moscow is deeply concerned with the US-led coalition's strike against the Syrian army near Deir-ez-Zor, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The attacks by the coalition planes near the Deir ez-Zor airport were first reported by the Syrian army earlier on Saturday. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the attacks saying they killed 62 servicemen and injured 100 more. The attack was later confirmed by the US Central Command, which said that Syrian troops were mistaken for the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

"We are deeply concerned that the strikes were carried out directly against the Syrian army, which was consistently destroying IS forces," Zakharova said Saturday.

The United States had not warned Russia about plans to carry out an operation in the area, she added, noting that Washington may therefore be avoiding its commitments to separating militants from moderate opposition.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups, including the IS, which is outlawed in many countries, including Russia. The government-held city of Deir Ez-Zor has been under siege from IS since July 2014.

The US-led coalition has been carrying out anti-IS strikes since September 2014 without Syrian government consent.

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