MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia's troops are in Syria on a legal basis and at the request of Damascus, the head of Russia’s General Staff said.
"We speak about the involvement of our forces exactly in the struggle against terrorism and not about some military interference in the internal affairs of another state or about support of one of confessional groups," Gen. Valery Gerasimov said at the fifth Moscow Conference on International Security.
The Russian Aerospace Forces do not attack deserted schools, mosques and hospitals in Syria despite terrorists' facilities located there.
"We deliberately do not attack deserted schools, mosques and hospitals [in Syria], though we know that terrorists have created their facilities in some of them," Gerasimov said.
The general also added that the mechanisms of interaction between the Russian and Israeli Defense Ministries on Syria is successful.
"The mechanism of interaction between the Russian and Israeli Defense Ministries within the joint working group on the prevention of incidents in Syria has been designed and successfully operates," he said.
