EHRAN – Several Russian military advisors have been killed in the US-ledcoalition air raid in Eastern Deir Ezzur.
Local sources told Iran’s Tasnim news agency that three pro-governmentHezbollah forces, several tribal fighters and several Russian militaryadvisors were killed in the US raid in Khasham gas field in Eastern DeirEzzur.
The US-led coalition fighter jets carried out heavy bombardment in anenergy-rich region on the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River on Wednesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry had earlier announced that the Russianmilitary men were not in the region on the Eastern Bank of the EuphratesRiver that came under US air attack.
In the meantime, the Russia-run Humeimim Airbase in Western Syria announcedvia its Central network that the US air attack on the Syrian Army troops’positions in Eastern Deir Ezzur was aimed at destabilizing the region.
The Russian military in Humeimim airbase in the coastal province ofLattakia further added the US-led collation attacks on the Syriangovernment forces are unjustifiable.
The coalition forces claim that they are in the region to battle againstthe ISIL, but their operation, especially their recent attack on thepro-government forces’ positions only 8 km away from the de-escalationregions’ line near the Euphrates River proved that the claims are not true.
On Wednesday, the US-led alliance said it carried out air strikes againstpro-government forces after they launched an “unprovoked attack” on theheadquarters of the US-backed SDF.
The statement also claimed that the US-led attack was “in self-defense.”
Reuters later cited a US official as saying on condition of anonymity thatover 100 pro-government forces had been killed in the assault.
The US has around 2,000 military personnel in Northern Syria supporting theSDF, which is an alliance of militias in northern and eastern Syria andlargely dominated by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
The US and its allies have been bombarding what they call ISIL positionsinside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from theDamascus government or a UN mandate.
The strikes, however, have on many occasions resulted in civiliancasualties and failed to fulfill their declared aim of countering terrorism.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry has on several occasions written to the UN,complaining that the US is flagrantly violating the sovereignty of Syria bytargeting residential neighborhoods.