MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Airstrikes against terrorists in Syria need to be more closely coordinated rather than stopped, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Sputnik.
"We are carrying out airstrikes against ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist targets. The US-led coalition is supposed to target terrorist positions in Syria as well. What we need is not to stop bombing terrorists, but to coordinate more closely the air operations of all forces fighting terrorism," Bogdanov said.
Bogdanov's remarks follow German Chancellor Angela Merkel's calls to establish a no-fly zone over Syria to speed up the political settlement in the country, which would mean halting air operations against the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) terrorists.
A US-led international coalition has been bombing Daesh targets in Syria since 2014, without Damascus' approval. Last September, Russia launched airstrikes against the group, which is outlawed on its territory, in Syria at the request of the Syrian government.
Both Moscow and Washington have spoken against Merkel's initiative, claiming it would be counterproductive.
