US-Backed Kurds Say Russian Warplanes Attacked Them

Russian General Denies Incident, Says No Strikes Took Place

Jason Ditz 

Posted onSeptember 25, 2017CategoriesNewsTagsKurdistan, Russia

The Kurdish YPG has claimed a Monday incident in which Russian warplanesattacked one of their military positions in Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor Province. They claimed a fighter was killed and two wounded.

This isn’t the first time the YPG has made such a claim, and as with the past, Russia issued a statement denying that any such incident took place, with Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov saying that Russia is “always careful” to ensure their strikes don’t hit anyone but their intended targets. The US said they couldn’t confirm the incident either, though they said some “rounds” had hit the area.

This is a growing concern in Deir Ezzor, however, because the YPG and Syrian military have both advanced into the ISIS-held province, trying to carve out territory of their own. The US and Russia have had recent meetings trying to improve information sharing to prevent accidental attacks.

There’s more than just danger of accidents, however. Russia accused theKurds of twice shooting at them in Deir Ezzor, including once from a position which included US troops. Russia threatened retaliation, and tensions remain high.

It makes it hard to know, then, whether the incident did or didn’t happen, as exchanges of fire followed by blanket denials have become the norm in eastern Syria.

http://news.antiwar.com/2017/09/25/us-backed-kurds-say-russian-warplanes-attacked-them/