The Russian government that the United States President continues to embrace as an ally seems to come unhinged with every US attack on the Syrian regime. In a scathing rebuke, Vladimir Putin condemned a US-led coalition airstrike on President Bashar al-Assad's military convoy.
The US intentionally struck Syria's pro-regime forces
President al-Assad's envoys escaped injury after a US-led coalition bombarded them with rockets. Russia's Putin called the attack "totally unacceptable." On Friday, Gennady Gatilov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister lashed out at the US government on the state-owned RIA-Novosti news agency.
Gatilov declared that the recent attack violated Syria's sovereignty. The Foreign Deputy Minister said any aggravation or military action against Syria's armed forces affects the country's political process.
On Thursday, US intelligence officials revealed that its coalition-led forces fired on about 20 military vehicles traveling toward its prohibited airbase on Wednesday. This, however, is the second attack on the Assad regime since Trump entered the White House.
The first airstrike strained the United States and Russia's relationship, with Putin threatening Donald Trump with real war. The President ordered the US military to shell a Syrian military base with 53 missiles after a deadly chemical attack by the government killed over 90 civilians.
Syria's threat to US and its partner met with force
US defense officials disclosed that Wednesday night they observed a convoy of about 20 pro-regime vehicles en route to the al-Tanf military base between the borders of Syria and Jordan. Al-Tanf is occupied by special forces of the US and British military.
They are in the region advising Maghawir al-Thawra, an anti-ISIS rebel group from Syria.
The rebels are also known as the Commandos of the Revolution. The military base, over a year ago, was bombed by warplanes belonging to the Russian government.
Thirteen Syrian vehicles breached the military base's "de-confliction zone." Accordingly, this area was already disclosed to officials in Moscow as a prohibited zone.
Warplanes from coalition forces scrambled in a "show of force" against the Syrian convoy.
However, five vehicles advanced within 29 kilometers of the prohibited region and were fired upon by US-coalition aircraft. Commander Tlass Salameh of the Lions East Brigade said his men were just 20 kilometers from the al-Tanf air force base. The rebel brigade is supported by a CIA program. According to its leader, the Syrian rebels are vetted through this program before they can join the group to fight Islamic State militants.
