Attack puts Syrian truce in danger

U. S. airstrike mistakenly hit government forces

A U. S. airstrike that allegedly killed dozens of Syrian troops over the weekend threatens to undermine a fragile cease- fire agreement between Russia and the United States, potentially derailing a major diplomatic initiative aimed at ending the 5- year- old civil war.

The U. S. military is investigating Saturday’s airstrike around Deir el- Zour in eastern Syria where coalition aircraft appear to have mistakenly struck Syrian government forces. The Russian government said 62 people were killed in the strike.

The U. S. military said pilots believed they were striking Islamic State targets, and the U. S.- led co- alition would not intentionally target Syrian forces.

The incident has placed new pressure on the cease- fire agreement that went into effect one week ago. Even before the airstrike over the weekend, Russia and the United States have traded allegations over violations of the cease- fire.

“If Russia is looking for an excuse out, this would be a good excuse,” said Matthew Levitt, an analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

He said Russia may remain part of the agreement and try to use the incident as leverage over the United States. “It all depends on what the Russians really want out of this,” he said.

“Russia is using the incident to frame the U. S. as violating the deal despite frequent regime and Russian violations,” said Jennifer Cafarella, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. “Russia’s antics are a clear signal that it is not serious about this deal.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry, in a statement Sunday after a meeting of the U. N. Security Council, said the United States “not only turned out to be unable to give an adequate explanation of what happened, but also tried, as is their custom, to turn everything upside down.”

Under the truce agreement between the United States and Russia, the two countries would begin military cooperation if the cease- fire in Syria lasts a week, which ends Monday.

Levitt said the Pentagon already was wary of the agreement negotiated by the State Department, because of concerns over sharing intelligence and targeting information with Russia.

The Deir el- Zour incident highlighted those concerns.

The U. S. military said it notified Russia before the airstrike, saying the coalition would be conducting operations in the Deir el- Zour area. At the time the Russians made no mention of Syrian forces in the area.

The U. S. military doesn’t communicate directly with Syria’s military, but it notifies Russia of where the coalition is operating. Russia’s military backs the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad and works closely with Syria’s armed forces.

The coalition aircraft were conducting a “dynamic” strike in the Deir el- Zour area, meaning it was a target of opportunity and not pre- planned, according to a U. S. official who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to discuss the incident publicly. The coalition had been monitoring Islamic State activity in the area, the Pentagon said.

A dynamic strike still requires approval from a one- star general or higher, though clearance sometimes can take minutes. Targets are examined by surveillance aircraft or drones in order to avoid causing collateral damage.

The official said the aircraft were approved to strike what the U. S. military believed were Islamic State fighting positions, weapons and equipment. The pilots were given a time window of 67 minutes for the attacks.

The Russians did not notify the United States that coalition aircraft were hitting Syrian military positions until 55 minutes into the airstrike, the official said. The U. S. military did not say how many bombs or other weapons were used in the strike.

The Pentagon said the airstrike was halted immediately after the Russians notified coalition officials that the aircraft were hitting Syrian military positions.

The Syrian government said the airstrikes allowed ISIL militants to seize the positions formerly occupied by its military.

Syria’s state media said Sunday the military has regained the territory they had lost a day earlier.

“Russia is using the incident to frame the U. S. as violating the deal despite frequent regime and Russian violations.” Jennifer Cafarella, analyst, the Institute for the Study of War.

KARAM AL- MASRI, AFP/ GETTY IMAGES Syrian men sit amid rubble after airstrikes in parts of Aleppo on Sunday. They were the first raids to hit the city in nearly a week.