US, Russia trying not to fi re on one another

WASHINGTON — Senior American and Russian military leaders met for an unprecedented, face-to-face session somewhere in the Middle East this week to discuss the growing tensions in the competing battles to retake one of the remaining Islamic State strongholds in Syria.

Syrian government forces, Russian special forces and U.S.backed militants are all battling IS around the oil-rich Deir elZour province. The talks were aimed at ensuring safety for all the different fighting elements.

The meeting, however, also suggests an expanded U.S. and Russian effort to coordinate their efforts, raising questions about how the Pentagon is adhering to an American prohibition against militaryto-military cooperation with Moscow. Congress enacted that law in the wake of Russia’s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014.

Army Col. Ryan Dillon told Pentagon reporters on Thursday that U.S. and Russian general officers shared maps, graphics and information about where their forces are battling around Deir el-Zour. He would not provide details on when or where the meeting occurred, or who was present.

Dillon also said that U.S. and Russian ground forces in Syria have been using telephone lines in the past month or so to ensure the forces don’t fire on each other.

Russia has accused the U.S.backed Syrian Democratic Forces of firing on Syrian government troops in the area. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have charged Russian aircraft with carrying out an airstrike on its members.

In a further sign of the tensions, the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday said it has warned the U.S. military that Russian special forces are deployed alongside Syrian government troops in the battle for Deir el-Zour and said Moscow would retaliate if the Russians come under fire.

The Russian deployment raises the specter of a direct confrontation between Russian forces and the pro-Syrian troops they back on one side, and the U.S.-supported Kurdish-led forces on the other. U.S. special forces are also operating with the SDF.