Syria plan will not affect anti-IS strikes: Pentagon
AFP
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES- A plan to cease hostilities in Syria agreed to by world powers will not affect operations of the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State group, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday.
"Our operations there will continue," Captain Jeff Davis said at a news conference.
The coalition carries out strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria as well as Al-Nusra, a local branch of Al-Qaeda. Neither group is covered by the plan agreed to Friday by 17 countries during talks led by the US and Russia.
Davis also rejected the idea of increasing military cooperation in Syria between the US and Russia, a point raised by Moscow during the talks.
"There is no change," he said, adding that cooperation will continue to be limited to exchanging information to prevent accidents in the sky over Syria as Russia carries out its own bombing campaign.
The US military also does not plan to be involved in humanitarian operations called for in the new agreement, Davis said.
Questions remain over whether the ambitious plan to end hostilities in Syria will be effective. If measures go into effect next week as planned, it would be a step toward stemming the violence that has killed 260,000 since 2011.
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Davis also rejected the idea of increasing military cooperation in Syria between the US and Russia, a point raised by Moscow during the talks.
"There is no change," he said, adding that cooperation will continue to be limited to exchanging information to prevent accidents in the sky over Syria as Russia carries out its own bombing campaign.
The US military also does not plan to be involved in humanitarian operations called for in the new agreement, Davis said.
Questions remain over whether the ambitious plan to end hostilities in Syria will be effective. If measures go into effect next week as planned, it would be a step toward stemming the violence that has killed 260,000 since 2011.
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