The Pentagon said concerns were raised Saturday with counterparts in Moscow after a Russian aircraft was accused of conducting a strike in Syria this week against U.S.-backed opposition fighters.
In a statement, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said an “extraordinary session” was convened earlier Saturday via video link in order to discuss airstrikes reportedly launched by Russian forces Thursday in the town of Al-Tanf near Syria’s borders with Iraq and Jordan.
Those assaults, the spokesman said, struck opposition forces who were conducting a campaign in the region against Islamic State terrorists.
“Department officials expressed strong concerns about the attack on the coalition-supported counter-ISIL forces at the At-Tanf garrison, which included forces that are participants in the cessation of hostilities in Syria, and emphasized that those concerns would be addressed through ongoing diplomatic discussions on the cessation of hostilities,” said the spokesman, using an alternate name for the terror group.