US Jets Tried to Hinder Victory over Daesh in Syria: Russia’s Military

Russian authorities have indicated how the US military attempted in a latest incident to hinder the full defeat of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Syria.

According to Press TV, Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman, said on Saturday that American warplanes in Syria had tried in late November to disrupt a Russian air operation against the positions of Daesh in eastern Syria.

“An American F-22 fighter actively prevented the Russian pair of Su-25 attack aircraft from carrying out a combat mission to destroy the Daesh stronghold in the suburbs of the city of Mayadin in the airspace over the western bank of the Euphrates River on November 23,” said Konashenkov.

 The official added that the American fighter jet had attempted to escalate the situation and engage in a battle with the Russian jets.

“The F-22 aircraft fired off heat flares and released brake shields with permanent maneuvering, imitating an air battle,” Konashenkov said, adding that the US plane then stopped dangerous maneuvers and fled to the Iraqi territory after a Russian Su-35S fighter appeared in the scene.

He said similar incidents had occurred in the final weeks of a multi-throng battle against Daesh in eastern Syria, adding that those incidents showed Washington was trying to hinder a full defeat of the terrorist group in the territory.

Russia started its military campaign against the terrorists in Syria in September 2015 when the Syrian government submitted an official request to the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin last Wednesday declared a “complete victory” over Daesh on both banks of the Euphrates River in Syria.

Konashenkov said US military authorities had failed to provide clear answers to Russian military authorities based in Syria about the dangerous maneuver of the US F-22 fighter on November 23.

Russia and the US signed an agreement in 2015 to avoid any unwanted confrontation of their planes in the Syrian airspace.

 H.M