WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The targeting process of the US-led coalition against Daesh terrorist group is independent of third party input, a spokesperson for the Operation Inherent Resolve told Sputnik on Wednesday commenting on Moscow’s proposal to conduct joint actions to destroy the retreating Daesh convoys on the eastern bank of the Euphrates.
"The Coalition does not conduct strikes in Iraq or Syria based upon requests from the Syrian regime or the Russian Federation," the spokesperson said. "If we receive reports or information from a third party that ISIS [Daesh] terrorists are present within our area of operations, we may conduct our own investigation to confirm the veracity of such reports. If such reporting is deemed credible, we would go through our own targeting process independent of third party input."
The command of the Russian group of forces in Syria offered to the US-led coalition joint efforts to destroy the convoys of Daesh terrorist group on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The US-led coalition of some 70 nations is conducting airstrikes, ground-based and rocket-propelled artillery fire against Daesh targets in Syria and Iraq. While the strikes in Iraq are conducted in coordination with Baghdad, those in Syria are not authorized by Damascus or by the United Nations Security Council.
Russia launched its military operation in the Arab country on September 30, 2015, at the request of the Syrian government.
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition factions and Islamic extremist groups. The international community has taken a number of steps aimed at settlement of the crisis, including via different formats of talks, in particular, in Geneva and Astana.
