(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Russia says 62 Syrian forces have been killed in airstrikes by US-led coalition jets on army positions near Dayr al-Zawr military airport.
"Warplanes from the international anti-terrorist coalition carried out four airstrikes today against Syrian forces surrounded by the ISIS in the Dayr al-Zawr air base," the Russia army said in a statement. "Sixty-two Syrian soldiers were killed and a hundred others were injured in these strikes."
Two F-16 and two A-10 jets entered Syrian air space from Iraq to carry out the attacks, according to the statement.
It added, "Straight after the coalition's strikes, ISIS militants launched an offensive." "If these strikes were due to an error in the target coordinates, that would be a direct consequence of the US' refusal to coordinate with Russia its fight against the terrorist groups in Syria."
US warplanes have been conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq since August 2014. Some Western states have also participated in some of the strikes in Iraq.
Since September 2014, the US and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out airstrikes against ISIS inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate.
The US-led coalition has done little to stop ISIS' advances in Syria and Iraq. Some analysts have criticized the US-led military campaign, saying the strikes are only meant to benefit US weapons manufacturers.
The US-led aerial campaign in Syria has also been criticized for lack of efficiency and high civilian casualties. In July, a US airstrike reportedly killed at least 70 civilians, mostly women and children near Manbij in northern Syria.
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17 September 2016 - 19:14
News ID: 779751
Russia says 62 Syrian forces have been killed in airstrikes by US-led coalition jets on army positions near Dayr al-Zawr military airport.
