US-led coalition breaches Syria deconfliction protocols 14 times

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 Jul 2023 23:57

The US has recently increased its presence across the Middle East in response to alleged provocations from Russian forces stationed in Syria.

RQ-4 Global Hawk flying environmental mapping missions in Latin America, Caribbean (US Air Force)

Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov, the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, said on Monday that the so-called US-led international counterterrorism coalition in Syria has committed 14 violations of uncoordinated drone flights within the past day.

"During the past day, 14 violations of the Memorandum of Understanding on Prevention of Flight Safety Incidents in the course of operations in the Syrian Arab Republic dated October 20, 2015, related to flights of unmanned aerial vehicles uncoordinated with the Russian side by the 'international anti-terrorist coalition' led by the United States were recorded," Gurinov told a briefing.

In past months, the US has been activating its arms system on Russian aircraft over Syria. Gurinov said that Russian pilots have logged such actions in eastern Syria, noting that the US continues to breach deconfliction protocols with Russia and the air safety agreement in Syria.

Last month, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that it deployed several F-22 fighter jets across the Middle East in response to Russia's alleged "unprofessional" actions.

Grynkewich alleged that Russian warplanes had tried to bait US jets into "dogfighting" over Syria.

Russian forces responded by saying that the US-led international coalition is continuing to commit gross violations of deconfliction protocols and of the Air Safety Memorandum in Syria.

"Gross violations of the deconfliction protocols and the bilateral Memorandum on Air Safety in Syria by the US-led so-called international coalition continue. Violations are purposeful and systematic. Over the past day, 18 cases of violations related to the flights of drones and aviation of the coalition were recorded," Gurinov told a briefing on June 22, noting that terror attacks against Syrian troops and civilians have increasingly become frequent.

"Cases of terrorist attacks against the Syrian military and the civilian population have become more frequent. In June, 47 violations of the ceasefire were recorded, of which 24 were only in the past week," Gurinov said, adding that there has been the activation of destructive forces that will "seek to destabilize the situation in government-controlled areas" of Syria.

Last Wednesday, Gurinov said Russian forces used high-precision strikes to eliminate illegal armed formations in the Idlib de-escalation zone, resulting in the destruction of several command posts, ammunition depots, and 18 militants.

"In order to stop the ongoing attempts of illegal armed groups from the Idlib de-escalation zone using UAVs to attack settlements located on the territory controlled by the authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic in the provinces of Idlib and Latakia, high strikes were carried out on June 27 against militant targets in the Sarjah area in the Idlib de-escalation zone," Gurinov told a briefing.

Gurinov added that a command center and a warehouse with weapons and ammunition were destroyed; 18 militants were eliminated as a result of the strikes.

He further added that the Center for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria calls on illegal armed groups to stop waging attacks on the positions of the Syrian government forces and civilian infrastructure facilities, warning them that precision air strikes will follow.

Yesterday, Gurinov said that drones of the US-led coalition violated flight safety rules in Syria 315 times during the month of June.