The United States on Feb. 10 denied that it was coordinating air strikes either directly or indirectly with the Syrian regime against Islamic militants and renewed calls for President Bashar al-Assad to go.
In an interview with the BBC, Assad said Damascus was being informed about the US-led coalition air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Assad said the messages were conveyed through third parties, including neighboring Iraq, where Washington and Western allies are also carrying out strikes against ISIL.
"We're not communicating or coordinating our military operations with the Assad regime. We're not doing it directly. We're not doing it indirectly," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters.