US should publicly apologize for killing Syria troops: Assad advisor
A top advisor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the US should officially apologize for killing dozens of Syrian troops in an airstrike.
Assad’s media and political advisor Bouthaina Shaaban made the remark on Monday during an interview with the Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen TV network.
She noted that Washington has conveyed apologies to Syria but not in an official manner.
Following the incident, a US administration official said the US has "relayed our regret through the Russian Federation" over the deaths of the Syrian government forces fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
"We want a public apology and we want this issue not to be repeated," Shaaban said, adding that "Lives were lost."
On September 17, a US-led coalition attack in Syria’s eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr killed around 80 Syrian soldiers and injured hundreds more.
No prospect of Syria peace
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (seen below) said that Russia sees "absolutely no prospect" for holding a Syria peace summit.
"Regrettably ... the ceasefire regime has not been effective enough to date," he added.
He also voiced Russia’s concerns that the militants were using the ceasefire regime to regroup and launch attacks against Syrian forces.
"The Kremlin views the situation as extremely complicated…We are chiefly concerned that ... terrorists are using a ceasefire to regroup their forces, to replenish their arsenals, for obvious preparations for waging offensives," he said.
He also noted that the so-called “moderate opposition” forces have not been separate from the terrorists, adding that the US has failed to deliver on its vow to do so.
"Because there has been no separation of moderates from terrorists, terrorists continue their encroachments, they continue offensives ... Naturally the fight against terrorists is ongoing, it must not be stopped," he said.
Moscow has long insisted that the US-backed moderate opposition groups in Syria should leave the areas held by terrorists, which are targeted in the Russian air campaign.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. Over the past few months, the Takfiri militants active in the Arab country have suffered major setbacks as the Syrian army has managed to liberate several areas.
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