Russia Says FSA on the Offensive against Terrorists with Syrian Army

Russia Says FSA on the Offensive against Terrorists with Syrian Army
Mon Dec 14, 2015 20:52:49

Warplanes of the Russian task force in Syria deliver 30 to 40 airstrikes daily in support of the Free Syrian Army, the General Staff reports. Some 5,000 FSA troops together with the Syrian Army are on the offensive in Hama, Homs, Aleppo and Raqqa provinces.

The number of FSA personnel who have come over to the Syrian Army is constantly growing, Russia’s Defense Force Chief of Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, said.

He added that Russia’s task force in Syria is also supplying FSA units with “weapons, munitions and other material supplies.” In this way, Russia is “promoting the [Syrian] government troops and opposition groups joining efforts to defeat the terrorists,” the general said.

On Monday, a Russian presidential aide for military and technical cooperation rebuked claims about Moscow shipping weapons to the FSA.

“No,” Vladimir Kozhin told media while answering a question about alleged arms supplies, RIA Novosti reported.

According to the General Staff, for the purpose of cutting off the terrorists' financing, Russian jets bomb oil-processing infrastructure controlled by so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS, ISIL or Daesh ), such as oil refineries, oil pipeline pumping stations and oil tankers en route to the Turkish border.

Meanwhile rebels from a separate, recently-formed alliance of armed groups - including some that identify themselves as FSA – have confirmed to Reuters that their fighters benefited indirectly from Russian air strikes in a recent battle with terrorists , including the Al-Nusra Front. However, they denied any direct Russian support, RT reports.

One of the Free Syrian Army leaders, General Hossam Awak, said the FSA is ready to provide Russia with “precise intelligence” on ISIS terrorists’ positions and is willing to cooperate with Moscow in the fight against the extremist group.

"We have precise intelligence, documents, maps, and we can share them with the Russians so that their strikes on Daesh are more effective," Awak told Sputnik News.

"We really want to cooperate with the Russians in the fight against Daesh on condition that their airstrikes hit solely Daesh targets," he added.

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