Military Expert:

US Support for ISIL in Deir Ezzur Airstrike Completely Evident

Rasa - It is quite clear that the US and the ISIL acted in a coordinated manner in attacking the Syrian army's military positions in Deir Ezzur province in Eastern Syria on Saturday night, a senior military expert underlined.

News ID: 423706

Date: 19 September 2016 - 15:58

RNA - "The US raids on the Syrian army's military positions with 4 fighter jets and bombers is an inevitable reason that Washington supports the terrorist group," Retired Syrian Army General Mohammad Sarhan said on Monday.

He underlined that the ISIL is a protégé of the US and when Washington realized that the terrorists are on the verge of collapse in Deir Ezzur province, it sent its fighter jets and bombers to hit the Syrian army's military positions in the province, but it could not paralyze the Syrian military force and prevent it from attacking the terrorists.

To reiterate that the US airstrikes have been carried out in support of the ISIL, the military expert reminded that the US fighter jets skipped attacking an ISIL military base on their flight path while the military bases had ISIL's flags which were clearly visible.

On Sunday, a military source said that the ISIL launched attacks on the Syrian army positions in Deir Ezzur only 7 minutes after the US-led coalition's airstrikes.

The military source reiterated that the air and ground assault were highly coordinated.

The source said after the coalition's pounding of the Syrian army near Deir Ezzur airbase, the ISIL could take full control of al-Tharda mountain and then Deir Ezzur military base, adding that the army and national defense forces deployed near the airbase immediately won it back from the terrorists by launching a counterattack.

Noting that Deir Ezzur is now almost in tranquility and no change has occurred in the military map of the region, the source said by attacking the Syrian army positions, the US seeks to prevent military operations to break the terrorists' siege on the city.

The source said the simultaneous raid of the ISIL terrorists immediately after the coalition airstrikes is the best evidence of the high coordination done between the US and the terrorists.

Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that four strikes against Syrian positions had been delivered by US-led coalition aircraft, including two F-16 jet fighters and two A-10 support aircraft.

The Syrian military called the bombing a "serious and blatant aggression" against Syrian forces, and said it was "conclusive evidence" that the US and its allies support ISIL militants.

Also on Sunday, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman blasted Washington over the recent airstrikes near Deir Ezzur, and said such moves serves the interests of the ISIL terror group.

"If previously we had suspicions that Fatah al-Sham Front (formerly known as al-Nusra Front) is protected this way, now, after Saturday airstrikes on the Syrian army we come to a really terrifying conclusion for the entire world: The White House is defending the ISIL," Maria Zakharova said.

"We demand a full and detailed explanation from Washington. That explanation must be given at the UN Security Council," she added.

Russia has demanded full and detailed explanation from Washington over the incident in Deir Ezzur, in which 62 Syrian troops were killed and over 100 injured.

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