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Syria 'near miss' prompts US-Russia air safety talks 'Progress' in US-Russia talks on Syria airspace safety
(about 14 hours later)
The US and Russia are to hold new talks on air safety in Syria after it emerged combat aircraft from both nations came within miles of each other on Saturday. Russian defence officials say they are getting closer to a deal with the US on air safety in Syria, after aircraft from both countries flew within miles of each other last weekend.
The planes were in visual contact with each other, 10 to 20 miles (15-30km) apart, a US defence spokesman told reporters in Washington DC. The US Pentagon said "progress was made" in the third round of such talks.
It will be the third round of talks as the two countries seek to find ways of avoiding an accidental conflict. Russian and US combat aircraft were in visual contact with each other, 10 to 20 miles (15-30km) apart, on Saturday.
Despite the talks, the US said Russia's actions in Syria were "wrongheaded". Russian began air strikes in Syria on 30 September, saying it was targeting Islamic State (IS) militants.
US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter said he expected a deal soon. Russia said it had "updated proposals" to be discussed during a video conference. But Western countries and Syrian activists say Russian planes have been hitting non-IS targets - a claim Moscow denies.
Russia began its campaign of air strikes in Syria on 30 September, saying it was targeting Islamic State (IS) militants and other jihadist groups after a request to help militarily from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "Positions became closer on key provisions of the future document [on air safety]," the defence ministry said in a statement reported by Russian news agencies.
Western countries and Syrian activists say Russian planes have been hitting non-militant targets - a claim Moscow denies. A US official told Reuters news agency that military officials from both sides were finalising a memorandum of understanding setting out basic air safety procedures over Syrian airspace.
In a separate development on Tuesday, two shells struck the Russian embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus as hundreds of pro-government supporters rallied outside in support of Russian air strikes. In a statement, the Pentagon described talks as "professional and focused narrowly on the implementation of specific safety procedures".
No-one was killed but a BBC Arabic correspondent in Damascus says some people were injured. Russia said it began its aerial campaign against IS militants and other jihadist groups after a request to help militarily from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia described the shelling as "a terrorist attack". Prior to the talks, US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said Russia's actions in Syria were "wrongheaded and strategically short-sighted", though he expected a deal soon.
'Same battle space' The US is leading a coalition that has been bombing IS targets in Syria since September last year.
US and Russian officials are expected to hold a video conference later on Wednesday.
Ahead of the talks, Mr Carter said: "Our talks... are very professional, they're very constructive, and I expect them to lead in very short order to an agreement."
But he stressed that the Americans "are not able at this time to associate ourselves more broadly with Russia's approach in Syria because it is wrongheaded and strategically short-sighted".
Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said it had "updated proposals on Syria for the US" and was waiting for a "third video conference".
The talks come after US military spokesman Col Steve Warren told reporters that two US and two Russian aircraft "entered the same battle space" over Syria on Saturday.The talks come after US military spokesman Col Steve Warren told reporters that two US and two Russian aircraft "entered the same battle space" over Syria on Saturday.
He said the aircraft were in visual contact with each other.He said the aircraft were in visual contact with each other.
Col Warren also said that Russian planes had repeatedly broken air patrols, coming close to US American unmanned aerial vehicles or drone aircraft.Col Warren also said that Russian planes had repeatedly broken air patrols, coming close to US American unmanned aerial vehicles or drone aircraft.
Russia has not publicly commented on this claim.Russia has not publicly commented on this claim.
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