Russia blames US for vehicles skirmish in Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) talks to Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia Valery Gerasimov (R) in Moscow, Russia on 29 December 2018 [Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency]

The Russian Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, yesterday blamed the US army for the armoured vehicles collision that injured seven American soldiers in northeastern Syria on Tuesday.

General Gerasimov made the remarks during a telephone call with his counterpart, US Joint Chiefs Chairman, General Mark Milley, Russian news agency TASS reported.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that the US army had been notified in advance about the Russian troops’ movements in the region and described the American attempt to disrupt a Russian patrol a “violation of bilateral agreements” on Syria.

In turn, Washington condemned the incident, saying it considered it a violation of the safety protocols agreed upon with Moscow.

US official: US troops injured in interaction with Russian forces in Syria

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