ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The spokesperson for the US-led international anti-ISIS coalition said that communication with Russians at the operational level in Syria is "professional," but Russia's defense ministry puts out "baseless lies and false information."
"The Russian Ministry of Defense has often provided salacious and false claims. They are very consistent in that. Our counterparts at the operational level here in Syria have been professional," US Army Col. Ryan Dillon, the spokesperson for the coalition, told Rudaw on Friday.
"The Russian Ministry of Defense often puts out baseless lies and false information, but the de-confliction and what we do with our counterparts in Syria is very professional. We have been able to pursue ISIS because of those de-confliction measures," said Dillon.
He claimed the coalition "will not keep one more soldier or member of the coalition in Iraq or Syria than necessary to accomplish our mission" to defeat ISIS.
Two ISIS pockets remain in areas where the coalition is present: Deir ez-Zor and al-Boukamal in the Middle Euphrates River Valley. In both, there have been reports of Russian soldiers or contractors.
"We do de-conflict with our Russian counterparts. And we do share information to them if we know that there are ISIS elements in areas where they operate," said Dillon.
Dillon said the establishment of civil and military councils has worked, as "not an inch of the territory where we have supported our internal security forces has been retaken by ISIS."
Dillon claimed the makeup of the Manbij Civil Council is representative of the demographics of the area even before ISIS came.
"You'll find a stable and secure and thriving community," said Dillon, but ISIS remains a threat, pointing to the deaths of two coalition soldiers on March 30.
"The Russian Ministry of Defense has often provided salacious and false claims. They are very consistent in that. Our counterparts at the operational level here in Syria have been professional," US Army Col. Ryan Dillon, the spokesperson for the coalition, told Rudaw on Friday.
He was responding to statements by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that US-led coalition has failed to counter terrorism in Syria and is trying to establish a military and economic presence in Syria.
"The Russian Ministry of Defense often puts out baseless lies and false information, but the de-confliction and what we do with our counterparts in Syria is very professional. We have been able to pursue ISIS because of those de-confliction measures," said Dillon.
He claimed the coalition "will not keep one more soldier or member of the coalition in Iraq or Syria than necessary to accomplish our mission" to defeat ISIS.
Two ISIS pockets remain in areas where the coalition is present: Deir ez-Zor and al-Boukamal in the Middle Euphrates River Valley. In both, there have been reports of Russian soldiers or contractors.
"We do de-conflict with our Russian counterparts. And we do share information to them if we know that there are ISIS elements in areas where they operate," said Dillon.
Dillon said the establishment of civil and military councils has worked, as "not an inch of the territory where we have supported our internal security forces has been retaken by ISIS."
Dillon claimed the makeup of the Manbij Civil Council is representative of the demographics of the area even before ISIS came.
"You'll find a stable and secure and thriving community," said Dillon, but ISIS remains a threat, pointing to the deaths of two coalition soldiers on March 30.
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