Senior Syrian Official: US Air Attack on Army Convoy State Terrorism

Bashar al-Jaafari said that the US-led coalition’s airstrike on the Syrian Army convoy on Thursday was an act of state terrorism.

A Syrian military source said earlier today that the US-Led coalition warplanes’ air raid on a convoy of Syrian Army forces in the Southern part of the country proved that the White House claims about the US seriousness in war on terrorism are nothing but sheer lies.

The source described the US-led coalition attack as “blatant”, saying it uncovers the fake claims of the coalition about fighting terrorism and reveals the undoubted reality of the Israel-US project in the region.

 “The attempt to justify this act of aggression by saying that the targeted forces failed to respond to the warning to stop advancing is completely rejected,” the source stressed.

 “The Syrian army,” the source said, “is fighting terrorism on its territory, and no party whatsoever has the right to determine the course and destination of the army’s operations against the terrorist organizations, mainly ISIL and al-Qaeda.”

The source added that “those who claim to be fighting (terrorist organizations) should strike them and not the Syrian army, which is the only legitimate force that is fighting terrorism along with its allies and friends.”

The source asserted that the army will continue performing its duty of fighting ISIL and Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board).

A US defense official disclosed earlier today that the US-led coalition struck the Syrian forces’ positions near the border town of al-Tanf in a region of an established deconfliction zone with Russia.

The Russian Sputnik quoted a US-led coalition spokesperson as saying that the coalition forces in Southern Syria struck the Syrian army’s positions.

The Sputnik added that the coalition strikes reportedly occurred near al-Tanf , where US’ and British special forces have been training Syrian militants  near the border with Iraq and Jordan.

“The strike did happen. It was against pro-government forces’ strongholds in the vicinity of al-Tanf. The pro-government force was within a well-established deconfliction zone,” the defense official told Sputnik.

“The commander on the ground perceived this force to be a threat to coalition forces,” the defense official said.