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Russia and US to resume Syria air safety talks | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Russia has agreed to resume talks with the US on air safety during Syria bombing campaigns, says the Pentagon. | Russia has agreed to resume talks with the US on air safety during Syria bombing campaigns, says the Pentagon. |
The talks "are likely to take place as soon as this weekend," said press secretary Peter Cook. | The talks "are likely to take place as soon as this weekend," said press secretary Peter Cook. |
There have been concerns that there could be an accidental clash as the two countries pursue separate bombing campaigns over Syria. | There have been concerns that there could be an accidental clash as the two countries pursue separate bombing campaigns over Syria. |
The US and its Nato allies have also been alarmed at violations of Turkish air space by Russian jets. | |
US and Russian officials conducted talks on air safety via video conference on 1 October, but the US had complained that they had heard nothing from Moscow since then. | |
Earlier this week, Pentagon officials said they had had to carry out at least one "safe separation" manoeuvre to avoid a US jet coming too close to a Russian aircraft over Syria. | Earlier this week, Pentagon officials said they had had to carry out at least one "safe separation" manoeuvre to avoid a US jet coming too close to a Russian aircraft over Syria. |
They said this happened after 1 October, without giving a specific date. | They said this happened after 1 October, without giving a specific date. |
Talks are likely to deal with how much separation there should between US and Russian aircraft and which language and radio frequencies crews should use for communications. | Talks are likely to deal with how much separation there should between US and Russian aircraft and which language and radio frequencies crews should use for communications. |
Russia has said it is targeting positions of so-called Islamic State (IS) but there are concerns that it is bombing other rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. | |
Reports on Friday said IS had seized several villages near the northern city of Aleppo from rival insurgents. | |
The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says Russian air strikes seem to be mostly hitting other Syrian opposition forces which pose more of a threat to the Syrian government. | |
The Russian campaign appears to have weakened these groups, and given IS the opportunity to push forward, he adds. | |
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter on Friday accused Russia of running "fundamentally flawed" operations in Syria which would "inflame the civil war and therefore extremism". | US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter on Friday accused Russia of running "fundamentally flawed" operations in Syria which would "inflame the civil war and therefore extremism". |
But Moscow has dismissed claims that its week of strikes has mainly hit non-IS targets. | |
Russia has also launched cruise missiles against targets in Syria from warships in the Caspian Sea, about 1,500km (930 miles) away. | |
Mr Carter said there were indications that four missiles that crashed in Iran before reaching their targets in Syria had malfunctioned. | |
Russia has denied that any of its missiles crashed, saying all 26 hit their targets. | |
In another development on Friday, the US announced it would end efforts to train new Syrian rebel forces and instead shift to providing equipment and weapons to existing forces. | |
Its $500m (£326m) programme had aimed to train and equip 5,400 fighters this year and a further 15,000 in 2016. | |
However, it emerged last month that only four or five of the fighters were in Syria. | |
It was also revealed that US-trained rebels had handed vehicles and ammunition over to militants. | |
A senior administration official said the programme was being put on "pause" and said it could be restarted in future. |