Russian airstrikes killed hundreds of Syrian civilians, US claims
The United States has leveled new charges against Russia over its military operations in Syria, accusing Moscow of having killed hundreds of Syrian civilians since late September.
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Tuesday, "Russian airstrikes in Syria have killed hundreds of civilians, including first responders, (and) hit medical facilities, schools and markets."
He cited reports from what he called "credible human rights organizations," a clear reference to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies heavily on a network of spies working for the foreign-backed opposition.
Toner also said Russia’s air attacks displaced some 130,000 Syrians in October and the first half of November alone.
He noted that Washington has discussed the issue with Moscow. US Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday and conveyed Washington's “concerns.”
The US official further accused Russia of hampering delivery of humanitarian aid to affected areas by targeting Syria’s infrastructure.
The US and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out airstrikes since September 2014 against ISIL inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate.
US warplanes have been conducting airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq since August 2014. Some Western states have also participated in some of the strikes in Iraq.
The US-led coalition has done little to stop the ISIL's advances in parts of Syria and in western Iraq.
Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since 2011, which has claimed the lives of more than 250,000 Syrians, and displaced millions of people.
Upon a request from the government of President Bashar al-Assad, Russia has been conducting airstrikes against Daesh and other terrorist groups in Syria since September 30. Since then, it has killed hundreds of ISIL terrorists and other foreign-backed militants.
The United States has accused Russia of targeting so-called “moderate militants” instead of ISIL terrorists. However, Russia has denounced the accusations as baseless, saying they are attacking both pro- and anti-Western terrorists wreaking havoc in Syria.
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