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Europe

Russia says US failed to provide Syrian opposition locations

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, second left, visits the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

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    RETRANSMITTING FOR IMPROVED QUALITY Syrian President Bashar Assad shakes hands with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/ Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

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    Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, second right, visits the Hemeimeem air base in Syria, Saturday, June 18, 2016. Russia's defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country's leader and inspect the Russian air base there, a high-profile trip intended to underline Moscow's role in the region. (Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service pool photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

MOSCOW – The Russian military has rejected the Pentagon's accusations that it targeted U.S.-backed Syrian opposition forces, saying the U.S. failed to warn about their locations.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said the area targeted in Thursday's strike was 300 kilometers (186 miles) away from locations earlier designated by the U.S. as controlled by legitimate opposition forces. The Pentagon said Russian warplanes struck Syrian opposition forces fighting the Islamic State group in At-Tanf.

Konashenkov said in Sunday's statement that the Russian military had warned the U.S. in advance about the planned strike, but the Pentagon had failed to provide coordinates of legitimate opposition forces.

On a conciliatory note, he added that Saturday's video conference with the Pentagon was "constructive," reflecting a shared desire to improve coordination and avoid incidents.