Syrian Defense Ministry confirmed on state TV Friday that the airstrike conducted by the US-Led coalition on Thursday hit ‘one of our military points’ near the southern town of At Tanf.
“[On Thursday,] at 4:30 pm [local time; 1:30 pm GMT], the so-called coalition attacked a position of the Syrian Army on the At Tanf highway in the Syrian desert, which led to casualties and material loss,” the Ministry said in the statement.
There can be no justification for the US coalition’s strike on the Syrian Army positions, the Defense Ministry stressed, adding that the attack “shows the real goals” of the coalition.
“The Syrian Army is fighting against al-Nusra Front [former name of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham] and Daesh terrorist groups [both banned in Russia and multiple countries]… Those who claim to be fighting against terrorism must direct their strikes at the [groups], not at the only legitimate Syrian Army that is battling terrorism together with its allies and friends,” the statement concluded.
On May 18, a US defense official told Sputnik that the US-led coalition struck the pro-Assad fighters near the town of At Tanf in the area of an established deconfliction zone with Russia.
Prior to the airstrike, the US-led coalition had conducted “a show of force” and fired warning shots.