The US operation in Syria’s Idlib governorate was a “precise and targeted response” to leaders of terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda, according to a US State Department official.
Russia accused the US of “endangering” the ceasefire in Syria's Idlib province, where Washington on Saturday evening carried out an air strike against leaders of an extremist organization.
The Russian military said that Washington carried out the strike without advance notice to Russia and Turkey, describing the US attack as “indiscriminate.”
The Russian Defense Ministry said the raid caused “great losses and destruction”, accusing Washington of having compromised the ceasefire in the de-escalation zone of Idlib.
At least 40 fighters were killed in the US missile attack, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Earl Brown confirmed a strike had been conducted against the Qaeda terrorist group. He indicated the strike targeted a facility located north of Idlib.
The strike came the day the ceasefire declared by Russia and agreed by Damascus came into effect in Idlib, which has been under four months of bombardment that killed 950 civilians.
Another ceasefire declared in early August collapsed days after it was announced, noting that the province and its environs are covered with an agreement signed by Russia and Turkey in Sochi in September 2018.
The US official told Russian media that: “This operation targeted Syria Qaeda's leaders responsible for attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians.”
“With our allies and partners, we will continue to target violent extremists to prevent them from using Syria as a safe haven,” asserted the spokesman.
