The United States coalition on Saturday stopped an airstrike in Syria after army personnel were killed during the attack, prompting Russia to call for an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting, Reuters reported. The international organisation convened immediately as the strike has endangered a ceasefire deal signed between Russia and America on the ongoing civil war in the West Asian country.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian officials claim the strike over Syria's Deir Ezzour province, an area dominated by the Islamic State group, killed at least 62 Syrian soldiers and wounded more than 100 people. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, pegs the toll at 83 army personnel.
The US Central Command said the strike was halted "immediately after Russian officials informed the coalition of the possibility that Syrian military personnel and vehicles were targeted" during the attack. The US has reportedly expressed its "regret" to the government through Russia “for the unintentional loss of life of Syrian forces fighting IS". Washington's officials said, "Syria is a complex situation with various military forces and militias in close proximity, but coalition forces would not intentionally strike a known Syrian military unit," Reuters reported.
Syria's national news agency Sana reported the involvement of two United States F16 fighter planes and two A-10 ground-attack planes in the strike. Condemning the incident, Russian Army officials said the incident took place very close to the military airport in Eastern Syria.
The statement, issued by US officials, said the coalition had informed Russian officials about the strike beforehand. The Wall Street Journal report quoted a Russian military official, who said, “If the airstrike was caused by erroneous coordinates of targets, it is a direct consequence of the stubborn unwillingness of the American side to coordinate with Russia [on] its actions against terrorist groups in Syria.”Moscow and Washington on September 10 announced a ceasefire plan for the “cessation of hostilities” between the Syrian government and opposition militia in the war-torn country, BBC reported. The civil war in the West Asian country began in 2011 following massive protests against the Assad regime. The Syrian government has been accused of committing atrocities against civilians such as dropping barrel bombs in populated areas as well as using chemical weapons. While Washington has supported rebel groups, Moscow is seen as a an ally of the Syrian president.
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