Russia calls US strikes on Assad partners a crime
The strike conducted by coalition forces led by the United States on the forces of Bashar al-Assad’s supporters in the province of Deir ez Zor is a crime, stated Russia’s permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya, RIA Novosti reported.
The diplomat noted that despite the fact that Washington declares that its goal in Syria is to fight terrorists, the real actions of the United States appear different. “They keep saying that they are fighting international terrorism, but we see that they are not limited to this. To speak out against those who are really fighting against international terrorism on the side of the [government] of Syria is a crime,” said the Russian ambassador, commenting on the incident.
The coalition forces conducted the strike against the Syrian militia in the province of Deir ez Zor on February 7. The forces loyal to Bashar Assad were conducting a military operation at the time. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the operation was directed against the militants of an activated “sleeper” cell of ISIS. At the same time, the U.S. coalition said that the blow was struck in response to an attack on the headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). According to Reuters, at least 100 people were killed in the attack.