WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Claims that the United States supported or was complicit in the death Russian Lt. Gen. Valery Asapov in Syria are completely false, US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement on Monday.
Nauert also stated that accusations that the US supports Daesh are groundless as the only aim is to defeat terrorists.
Claims that US supports ISIS or complicit in Russian commander death has no basis in fact. US/Coalition has one objective: defeat of ISIS
— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) September 25, 2017
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the death of the Russian general in Syria was the price that Russia paid for the duplicity of the United States' stance in the Syrian crisis.
Nauert in turn stressed that the United States will continue to de-conflict operations with Russia, and recent statements made by the Russian officials are "untrue and unhelpful."
The Defense Ministry earlier released aerial images of Daesh deployment sites north of Syria's Deir ez-Zor, where US equipment and special operations are clearly visible but without any "evidence of assault, struggle or any US-led coalition airstrikes to drive out the militants."
The press office of Operation Inherent Resolve told Sputnik that Russian statements that US special operations forces are colluding with Daesh terrorist group to aid the advance of Syrian Democratic Forces are false.
Earlier in the day, Pentagon spokesman Col. Robert Manning said during a Pentagon press briefing he was not aware of the Russian Defense Ministry statements.
