Moscow is concerned about the Islamic State group's terrorist activity in Trans-Euphrates, and attacks on Syrian military and Kurdish groups have become more frequent, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
"There is a growing concern about the intensification of the ISIS underground in central and eastern Syria, including the Kurdish-controlled zone of Euphrates. There are reports of more frequent terrorist attacks on Syrian military and Kurdish positions," Zakharova said at a briefing Thursday.
The US-supported Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces control a number of territories in Aleppo, al-Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir ez Zor provinces. Kurdish-controlled territories are independent of Damascus. Damascus has repeatedly invited the Kurds to sit down at the negotiating table and adhere to the idea of Syria's national unity and territorial integrity. The Kurds, in turn, are now resisting the establishment of relations with legitimate Syrian authorities, counting on Washington's support.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had repeatedly spoken publicly about the Syrian Kurds in a positive manner. The US military's stay in Syria was explained by the president's need to control the oil fields, the revenues from which are used by the Kurds to fight against ISIS (banned in Russia).
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense
Based on materials from RIA Novosti