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Fight against Islamic state

Moscow calls for constructive cooperation in fighting IS

Western media has recently spread reports that a group of 75 militants of the so-called ‘moderate’ armed opposition crossed the Turkish-Syrian border on the night from September 19 to 20

© AP Photo/Emrah Gurel

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Moscow upbeat on chances for uniting efforts in anti-IS fight — diplomatic source

MOSCOW, September 23 /TASS/. Russia calls for constructive cooperation with the United States in fighting terrorism, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday commenting a dispatch to Syria of a new group of US trained militants of "moderate" armed opposition.

"A number of western media outlets has recently spread reports that a group of 75 militants of the so-called ‘moderate’ armed opposition crossed the Turkish-Syrian border on the night from September 19 to 20. The militants have been trained by US instructors and are equipped with small arms to fight the Islamic State (IS)," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

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"Planes and armoured vehicles were used to cover the penetration operation from air and on the ground. The ‘newcomers’ are expected to join the ranks of little-known terrorist groups like Division 30 and Soqour Al-Jabal," the ministry explained.

"These reports are coming in against the background of growing criticism in the United States of the 500-million-dollar Train and Equip program of training Syrian opposition fighters who are supposed to fight IS radicals," the Russian Foreign Ministry went on to say.

"Jabhat al-Nusra militants instantly defeated and destroyed the previous group of 54 fighters who was sent to Syria in July 2015 because they thought that the US-trained militants would pursue the US interests in the region. Former CIS Chief David Petraeus said earlier that Jabhat al-Nusra militants could play the role of allies in the struggle against the Islamic State (IS). Apparently, he does not know anything about the true moods of the Jihad old guard in the face of Jabhat al-Nusra, which has close links to Al-Quaeda," the ministry explained.

"Experts from the prestigious International Crisis Group regard the training of non-radical militants more as an attempt to flirt with public opinion rather than a constituent part of real politics in conditions of absence of Washington’s clear course in the Syrian affairs," the Russian Foreign Ministry explained.

"We are calling on our partners again to focus on genuine and constructive work to form a broad front of effective counteraction to IS on the basis of universally recognized norms of international law and the key role of the United Nations," the ministry added.

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Foreign policy Russian Foreign Ministry Syria Islamic State

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