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Two US planes bombed a city in the Syrian province of Deir Ez-Zor with white phosphorus ammunition, causing mass fires, the Russian army said.
According to the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria, two F-15s bombed the city of Hajin Saturday with incendiary ammunition with white phosphorus, banned under the Geneva Convention.
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"After the strikes, large fires were observed in the area" Lieutenant-General Vladimir Savchenko said Sunday. There is still no information on the losses caused by the bombings, he added.
The use of incendiary munitions in populated civilian areas was prohibited by the 1980 Convention III Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. The United States signed the protocol in 2009.
White phosphorus, however, is also used for smoke screens and signals, which are not prohibited by the Convention. The loophole allows several countries, including the United States, to keep white phosphorus-based weapons in their arsenal.
The chemical burns when it comes into contact with oxygen, producing high temperature heat and white smoke. Exposure to burning phosphorus causes deep burns, very difficult to heal, while its fumes are highly toxic.
Russian accusations against the United States come as tensions between the two countries worsen in the region. The Russian Ministry of Defense has warned repeatedly against a false flag chemical attack by militant groups in Idlib, which it says will be used to justify a new US attack on the Syrian government. Moscow has also organized massive naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea near Syria.
The United States, in turn, has also strengthened its military presence in the region, bringing several ships equipped with cruise missiles closer to the Syrian coast. President Donald Trump has meanwhile been "Regularly" informed by the Pentagon of potential "military options" that the United States could take in the event of an attack by chemical weapons.
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