WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) — A coalition of countries urged Russia to end aerial attacks on Syrian militias and direct its attention to fighting Islamic State forces.
The coalition, comprised of Britain, France, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States issued a statement Friday in response to intelligence suggesting Russian airstrikes beginning Wednesday targeted areas not controlled by IS — also identified as Daesh, ISIS and ISIL.
“We express our deep concern with regard to the Russian military build-up in Syria and especially the attacks by the Russian air force on Hama, Homs and Idlib since yesterday which led to civilian casualties and did not target Daesh,” the statement read. “These military actions constitute a further escalation and will only fuel more extremism and radicalization.”
Russia’s stated goal in Syria is the defeat of IS — also identified as Daesh, ISIS and ISIL. President Vladimir Putin is also one of the few allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russian aircraft, operating from their base in the Syrian port city of Latakia, targeted the Idlib training camp of a Syrian rebel group supported by the CIA and fighting IS for over a year, among other targets, U.S. military officials said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking Thursday in New York, defended the Russia’s Syrian mission.
“I would recall that we always were saying that we are going to fight ISIL and other terrorist groups, this is the same position that the Americans are taking, the representatives of the coalition command have always been saying that their targets are ISIL, al-Nusra and other terrorist groups. If it looks like a terrorist, if it acts like a terrorist, if it walks like a terrorist, if it fights like a terrorist, it’s a terrorist, right? This is basically our position, as well. We see eye-to-eye with the coalition on this one.”
The U.S.-led coalition has not reduced its own airstrikes on IS bases within Syria despite Russia’s entry in the conflict Wednesday and the possibility Russian and U.S.-led coalition planes could be at cross-purposes through their lack of mutual coordination of actions.
“We have not altered operations in Syria to accommodate new players on the battlefield. We are continuing our operations in Syria,” said Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren.
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