WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (UPI) — The White House said it was monitoring reports Russian troops and aircraft have been deployed to Syria to assist President Bashar Assad’s forces.
The comments came after Syrian state media reported Russian troops were workingalongside the country’s military to fight rebels. Images believed to be Russian planes and drones in Syria’s Idlib province were seen on social media and the Times of London said video aired on Syrian state television showed government troops fighting rebels near the Mediterranean coast and distinctly featured voices speaking in Russian.
Other reports suggest the Russian involvement is targeting Islamic State militants that have been fighting Assad’s troops.
“We are aware of reports that Russia may have deployed military personnel and aircraft to Syria, and we are monitoring those reports quite closely,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Thursday. “Any military support to the Assad regime for any purpose, whether it’s in the form of military personnel, aircraft supplies, weapons, or funding, is both destabilizing and counterproductive.”
State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, “We have seen various reports that Russia may be deploying military personnel … we’re unclear what these might be used for.”
Russia, which Assad regards as an ally, has held separate talks with the Syrian government and with opposition leaders, as well as with representatives of world powers, to help end Syria’s civil war. The conflict, in progress since 2011, has become the Middle East’s most urgent humanitarian problem, prompting thousands of refugees to flee the country for Europe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied sending warplanes to serve Assad’s cause, but said Assad has agreed to early parliamentary elections, which could lead to a power-sharing arrangement with the opposition and a broader coalition against IS — also identified as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh.
“There is a general understanding that joint efforts in the fight against terrorism should go hand by hand with the political process in Syria,” Putin said Friday, adding that Assad “agrees to this,” and also agrees to “healthy opposition” to his government.
