‘Highly effective’ Russian weapons being used by Assad’s forces

‘‘We can say they are all types of weapons, be it air or ground.’’

The source said the army had been trained in the use of the weapons in recent months and was now deploying them.

Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said Russia had provided new weapons and trained Syrian troops in how to use them, without saying when or naming any specific systems.

He told state television the gov- ernment would be prepared to go further and ask Russian forces to fight alongside its troops if needed – though he said there were no such soldiers there now.

The Russian government said its military support for Damascus was aimed at fighting terrorism, safeguarding Syria’s statehood and preventing a ‘‘total catastrophe’’ in the region.

Syrian President Bashar alAssad has faced increased pres- sure this year from rebels fighting to topple him.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook condemned any new Russian assistance to Syria, saying it would be ‘‘counterproductive to the ultimate solution in Syria, which we think is a political and diplomatic solution, not a military solution’’.

The US, along with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, have supported insurgents battling to unseat Assad, whose foreign mili- tary backing has so far come mostly from Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

A US-led coalition is also bombing Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq, raising the prospect of a potential clash between US and Russian air forces.

Russia has strongly urged the US and its allies to engage the Syrian government as a ‘‘partner’’ in the fight against Islamic State, and offered to share any infor- mation about its military supplies to Damascus with Washington.

‘‘There is no reason to evade cooperation with the Syrian leadership, which confronts that terror threat,’’ Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the US ‘‘remains open to tactical, practical discussions’’ with Russia over the fight against Islamic State in Syria.