Terrorists preparing for raid in Aleppo: Russian military official

Russia says foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists operating in Syria are exploiting a ceasefire currently underway in the Arab country to launch a wide-scale attack in the city of Aleppo.

“During the sixth day of the ceasefire... only the Syrian government troops have been actually observing the moratorium on combat operations,” said Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman, on Sunday.

“Militants are using the ceasefire to lick wounds, recuperate and prepare for the resumption of combat operations,” he said.

The militants are “pulling manpower and weapons in the areas they control, both during the day and at night,” Konashenkov said, adding that they are exploiting Damascus’ commitment to the ceasefire deal and the fact that government troops are not “opening retaliatory fire” at them.

The Russian major general also denounced Washington’s passive stance on the militants’ violations of the ceasefire agreement, which started on September 12 under a deal between Russia and the United States.

He criticized the US for failing to separate the so-called “moderate” opposition from the terrorists as was agreed under the terms of the Syrian truce.

“After a week of ceasefire, it has become clear that the US side has neither influence nor even contacts with the ‘moderate oppositionists’ acting on the ground in Syria,” Konashenkov said.

He said that the militants had committed 50 violations of the truce in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, Latakia, Homs and Daraa during the previous 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Bouthaina Shaaban, a senior adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, echoed the Russian official’s remarks, saying “Unfortunately, the terrorists regroup and rearm with every truce and with every cancellation of hostilities. And that’s because the US is hesitant to strike at the terrorists in Syria.”

She also rejected claims that a recent US attack that claimed the lives of scores of Syrian soldiers was a “mistake.”

“It would be very strange if a country like the US, which is supposed to be a No.1 in military power in the world, makes such a mistake,” she said.

On Saturday, a US-led coalition attack in Syria’s eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr killed 62 Syrian soldiers and injured over 100 others. The coalition has been pounding Syria since September 2014 without authorization from Damascus.

SS