International coalition urge Russia to stop bombing Syria over fears of civilian deaths; Putin, Hollande had 1h15-minute conversation over Syria

The US-led coalition against Islamic State (IS) urges Vladimir Putin's forces to 'immediately cease attacks on opposition and civilians' in Syria.

Russian officials dismissed reports of civilian casualties as 'information warfare' and insisted strikes are targeting extremists.

 Iraq said Russian intervention is a welcome development.

The US and members of the international coalition bombing Isis have urged Russia to stop attacking the Syrian opposition and expressed “deep concern” over its intervention.

This is contained in a joint statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry with the U.S., Germany, Britain, France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, on Friday.


“We express our deep concern with regard to the Russian military build-up in Syria, especially the attacks by the Russian Air Force on Hama, Homs and Idlib since Thursday which led to civilian casualties and did not target Da’esh (IS).

“These military actions constitute a further escalation and will only fuel more extremism and radicalisation,’’ the statement said, calling on Russia to focus its efforts on fighting IS militants.

On Wednesday, Russian air forces launched airstrikes in the central Syrian provinces of Homs and Hama after Russia’s Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, granted President Vladimir Putin the right to send armed forces to Syria.

However, Moscow’s military action in Syria has drawn concern from Washington as the pair has different positions regarding Syrian government.

U.S Secretary of State John Kerry expressed grave concerns about Russia’s intention in Syria.

“We will have grave concerns should Russia strike areas where ISIL and al-Qaida-affiliated targets are not operating,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, White House called the Russian air strikes in Syria “indiscriminate” and it risked prolonging the sectarian conflict in the country.

The Russian Defence Ministry added that its air forces carried out 20 sorties during the first round of airstrikes against the IS in Syria on Wednesday, hitting eight targets, including a command centre.

Russian airstrike which began on Wednesday has been non-stop through Thursday and Friday as the end seem not to be in sight soon.  

Alexei Pushkov, the head of a Russian parliament foreign affairs committee, told French media that air strikes would intensify but that the operation would end as soon as possible.

“There is always a risk of being bogged down but in Moscow, we are talking about an operation of three to four months,” he added.

In Paris. French President Francois Hollande and Russia's Vladimir Putin had an in-depth discussion on Syria on Friday in which they "tried to narrow down differences on political transition," an aide to Hollande said after the two met in Paris.

The aide did not say if they had succeeded in any way in the 1h15-minute conversation, which took place ahead of a meeting the two men will have with the leaders of Germany and Ukraine aimed at resolving the Ukraine crisis.

They discussed the three conditions required by France for cooperation with Russia in Syria, the aide said. Those are: attack ISIS and Al Qaeda and no other targets, ensure the safety of civilians, and put in place a political transition that will see the departure of Russia's ally Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

Both Hollande and Putin looked stern and frosty-faced as the French leader welcomed his Russian counterpart in the yard of the Elysee palace, exchanging a couple of terse handshakes in front of photographers and cameramen.

Russia bombed Syria for a third day on Friday, mainly hitting areas held by rival insurgent groups rather than the Islamic State fighters it said it was targeting, according to UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Russia says Assad's government should be the centerpiece of international efforts to fight militants.

Source