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Facts point to interaction between US, Islamic State in Afghanistan — Russian diplomat

According to Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Russia is aware of unmarked helicopters conducting flights in areas, where IS militants were active. "It would have been impossible to carry out such activities unbeknownst to the US and NATO forces that had complete control of Afghanistan’s airspace," she explained

MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. Moscow has repeatedly cited information that makes it possible to draw conclusions about the United States’ interaction with the Islamic State terror group (IS, outlawed in Russia) in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

"As for actual facts, we have repeatedly mentioned them. However, we don’t do it in a way typical for the Anglo-Saxon world, which includes the demonstration of test tubes to the UN Security Council that later turn out to be a hoax. We do it based on facts," Zakharova said, when asked if Russia would publish information on interaction between the US and IS militants. "We believe that this information is enough to draw conclusions about cooperation between the US and IS fighters," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman noted, adding that Russia had already made the information it had public and international organizations, including the UN, could use it.

Russia is aware of unmarked helicopters conducting flights in areas, where IS militants were active, particularly in Afghanistan’s north, the diplomat emphasized. According to Afghan sources, this is how terrorists received reinforcements and evacuated the wounded, as well as dead bodies, Zakharova stressed. "It would have been impossible to carry out such activities unbeknownst to the US and NATO forces that had complete control of Afghanistan’s airspace," she explained.

Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second Asian Department Zamir Kabulov said earlier during an online event hosted by the Valdai International Discussion Club that Russia had received information about specific facts related to the US-led coalition’s cooperation with the Islamic State in Afghanistan.