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U.S. seeks answers over Russian strikes on Syrian rebels
Source: Reuters
World | Sat Jun 18, 2016 3:54pm EDT
U.S. seeks answers over Russian strikes on Syrian rebels
The Pentagon said on Saturday it has questioned Moscow over air strikes against U.S.-backed Syrian opposition forces earlier this week, saying Russian forces failed to heed U.S. warnings to stop the attack.
In a video call with Russian counterparts, the U.S. Department of Defense "expressed strong concerns" about the strikes that hit U.S.-backed Syrian rebels battling Islamic State near the al-Tanf border crossing with Iraq on Thursday, it said in a statement.
According to the Pentagon, coalition-backed fighters in Syria were attacked in al-Tanf even though they were part of the "cessation of hostilities," an agreement aimed at creating a truce in the war-torn country.
The attacks continued even after the United States alerted Russian forces, the Pentagon said in the statement following what it called an "extraordinary session" with Russian counterparts.
"Department officials conveyed that Russia's continued strikes ... even after U.S. attempts to inform Russian forces through proper channels of on-going coalition air support to the counter-ISIL forces, created safety concerns for U.S. and coalition forces," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in the statement, using another acronym for Islamic State.
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U.S. seeks answers over Russian strikes on Syrian rebels
The Pentagon said on Saturday it has questioned Moscow over air strikes against U.S.-backed Syrian opposition forces earlier this week, saying Russian forces failed to heed U.S. warnings to stop the attack.
In a video call with Russian counterparts, the U.S. Department of Defense "expressed strong concerns" about the strikes that hit U.S.-backed Syrian rebels battling Islamic State near the al-Tanf border crossing with Iraq on Thursday, it said in a statement.
According to the Pentagon, coalition-backed fighters in Syria were attacked in al-Tanf even though they were part of the "cessation of hostilities," an agreement aimed at creating a truce in the war-torn country.
The attacks continued even after the United States alerted Russian forces, the Pentagon said in the statement following what it called an "extraordinary session" with Russian counterparts.
"Department officials conveyed that Russia's continued strikes ... even after U.S. attempts to inform Russian forces through proper channels of on-going coalition air support to the counter-ISIL forces, created safety concerns for U.S. and coalition forces," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in the statement, using another acronym for Islamic State.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-strike-idUSKCN0Z40S0?il=0