Syria: Russia denies airstrike that wounded six US-backed fighters

The Russian military denied claims on Sunday that it struck a US-backed force in eastern Syria, wounding six fighters.The Kurdish-led and US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Saturday that its fighters had been hit in the airstrike near the eastern city of Deir el-Zour in an industrial area that had recently been liberated from the Islamic State group.The Russian defence ministry spokesman, Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov, said: “Russian air forces carry out pinpoint strikes only on IS [Isis] targets that have been observed and confirmed through several channels.”The command of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement that Saturday’s air raid occurred on the eastern side of the Euphrates iver in the industrial area that was recently liberated from Isis.The US military said in a statement that Russian forces struck a target east of the Euphrates river near Deir el-Zour, causing injuries to US-led coalition partner forces.Western forces embedded with the SDF were not injured, the US military said. The SDF is supported by a US-led international coalition of forces to defeat Isis militants in Syria and Iraq. An estimated 900 US troops are embedded with partner forces in Syria. They provide artillery support and can command air support.

 

Source: Syria: Russia denies airstrike that wounded six US-backed fighters | World news | The Guardian