WASHINGTON –
Defense Department officials today expressed concerns during
a video conference with Russian Defense Ministry counterparts held to discuss
June 16 airstrikes by Russian forces that struck Syrian opposition forces
conducting counter-Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant operations in the area,
Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said.
The conference was co-chaired by Elissa Slotkin, acting
assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, and Marine
Corps Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., director of strategic plans and policy
on the Joint Staff, Cook said in a statement summarizing the discussion.
“This extraordinary session was convened under the auspices
of the Safety of Flight Memorandum of Understanding, an arrangement between the
counter-ISIL coalition and Russian Federation to maintain safety in the air
space over Syria,” Cook said.
Strong Concerns
The DoD officials expressed strong concerns about the attack
on the coalition-supported counter-ISIL forces at the At-Tanf garrison, which
included forces participating in the cessation of hostilities in Syria, and emphasized
that those concerns would be addressed through ongoing diplomatic discussions
on the cessation of hostilities, the press secretary said.
Regarding safety, he added, department officials conveyed
that Russia’s continued strikes at At-Tanf, even after U.S. attempts to inform
Russian forces through proper channels of ongoing coalition air support to the
counter-ISIL forces, created safety concerns for U.S. and coalition forces. The
officials requested Russian responses to address those concerns, he said.
“The two sides reiterated the need to adhere to measures to
enhance operational safety and avoid accidents and misunderstandings in the air
space over Syria,” Cook said.