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The Russian army said on Sunday that the United States had carried out bomb attacks on military targets in civilian areas of the Syrian province of Deir el-Zour using white phosphorus, according to TASS and RIA news agencies. .
"Two US F-15 aircraft bombed the Hajin area in the Deir el-Zour area on 8 September using incendiary phosphorus ammunition," Russian General Vladimir Savchenko said in a statement.
"These strikes caused violent fires and we are clarifying information about deaths and possible injuries," he said.
The jihadist group "Islamic State" (IS), which the United States under President Donald Trump pledged to eliminate, is still present in a small area of Deir el-Zour.
Read more: What is the role of Iran in Syria if Assad wins the war?
International prohibition
The Geneva Conventions prohibit the use of white phosphorus bombs against civilians and against legitimate military targets in areas where the population is predominantly civilian.
Russia, which provides military assistance to its ally Syrian President Bashar Assad in its fight against an insurgency, was accused in March by the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights of using incendiary bombs during an offensive. against the bastion of Ghouta Syrian capital, Damascus.
Moscow has described the group's allegations, which monitor the conflict in Syria via a network of activists on the ground, as a "shameless lie".
Read more: Rebuild Syria of Assad: who should pay the bill?
Russia has been accused of using white phosphorus on eastern Ghouta
Idlib attacked
Moscow's accusations against Washington come as the Syrian regime and Russian planes carried out airstrikes Sunday for the second day of Idlib's last rebel stronghold.
Residents and rescuers said Syrian army helicopters dropped dropping bombs on villages in southern Idlib, killing at least two children, while Russian planes reportedly raided rebel positions in the neighboring province of Hama.
Airstrikes are gaining momentum in Idlib province
The Syrian Army has denied using barrel bombs, which usually contain explosives and splinters, but UN investigators have found ample evidence to support this charge.
The campaign of attacks in Idlib resumed on Saturday after a summit of Turkish, Iranian and Russian leaders failed to reach a ceasefire agreement to avert a military assault.
Turkey and Western countries have warned of a humanitarian disaster if a major Russian-backed bombing offensive is launched in the Idlib region and adjacent areas that are home to nearly 3 million people displaced by the fighting. The UN warned that such a campaign could lead to up to 800,000 people leaving their homes.
The civil war in Syria, which originated in peaceful protests against the Assad regime in 2011, has killed more than 350,000 people and displaced millions of others.
Read more: Idlib civilians in survival mode for Syrian aggression
tj / kl (Reuters, AFP)
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