Turkish shelling on northern Syria 'absolute mayhem': Russia
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said this morning that Turkish shelling of Kurdish and government positions in northern Syria were "absolute mayhem," RIA Novosti reports.
"What is happening right now on the Syria-Turkey border is absolute mayhem. In the context of the adoption and signing of the Munich agreement by the International Syria Support Group, when all countries have set their sights on a ceasefire, Turkey is shelling residential areas across its border, and is sending money, people and material-technical resources there. Just because it can't stand that these areas are being liberated from terrorists and extremists -- from those whom they have nurtured and maintained for so long," Zakharova told the Russia Today TV channel.
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Russia only conducts airstrikes in Syria after verifying intel: Defense Ministry
Russia has gone on a concerted defensive today amid accusations that it carried out missile strikes on Syrian hospitals and a school that killed 50 civilians and could amount to war crimes.
A Defense Ministry spokesman has now said that Russian airstrikes in Syria are only carried out after verifying data in order to reduce the risk of harming civilians.
"All strikes against terrorist targets are carried out only after multiple checks of intelligence and concerted efforts with the aim of reducing the risk for civilians," Igor Konashenkov said.
"Once again I remind you that the Russian armed forces together with our partners have launched a multi-level intelligence system that works round the clock to obtain reliable information about the actions of terrorists in Syria and some of its neighbors."
Britain, France slam Russia's role in Syria war
Britain and France have criticized Russia's role in Syria's war, saying that Moscow must stop the conflict rather than fueling it, Reuters report.
The comments come after almost 50 civilians were killed on Feb. 15 in missile strikes on at least five medical facilities and two schools in rebel-controlled areas of Syria.
Death toll at MSF hospital in Syria rises to 11
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have just tweeted to report that the death toll from yesterday's strike on a hospital in Marat al-Numan in Syria's Idlib province has risen to 11: five staff, five patients and one caregiver.
But that figure could rise even higher, as many people are still missing after the strike.
Amid the increasingly heated war of words between Turkey and Russia over Syria, Twitter comedian Karl Sharro offers a more lighthearted view of the situation.
Russia accuses Turkey of waging an 'information campaign' against it
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov has accused Turkey of waging an "information campaign" against Turkey in the world's media, RIA Novosti reports.
"Ankara has launched an aggressive information campaign in the leading global media against Russia in order to avoid losing its control over north and north-western Syria, where Turkish forces have de facto in the past few years become the absolute rulers," Konashenkov said.
Caspian fleet has no ships capable of ballistic strikes on hospital: Russia
A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman has said that Russia's Caspian Sea fleet does not have ships capable of carrying out a ballistic missile strikes on a hospital in Syria's Idlib province.
Igor Konashenkov said that Turkey was behind both of the reports that Russian strikes had hit civilian infrastructure in Syria.
"Both of these reports about the alleged destruction of hospitals and schools in Azaz on Feb. 10 and in Idlib on Feb. 15 consist of the same raw data: 'Gazantiep, Turkey.'," Konashenkov said.
Russia says Turkey supplying Syria rebels with weapons, reinforcements
Russia's Defense and Foreign Ministries have said that rebels in Syria are being supplied with weapons, ammunition and fresh recruits via Turkey.
These messages come amid reports that Turkey is pushing for support from its allies, including the United States, for a joint ground operation in northern Syria, as a Russian-backed government offensive pushes closer to the Turkish border.
Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that "under cover of darkness, the supply of weapons, ammunition and manpower continues across the Turkey-Syria border."
Militants were carrying out a "mass evacuation" of their families from Aleppo city to the north of the province near the Turkey border, Konashenkov added.
Defense Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the reason Turkey had vowed not to let the Syrian town of Azaz fall to Kurdish YPG forces was because it lies on a supply route used by Turkey to supply militants.
"Some of our partners have literally implored us 'not to touch' a corridor which is a bit shorter than 100 kilometers on the Syrian-Turkish border around Azaz," Zakharova said.
"Obviously, this is aimed at ensuring continued daily supplies to Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist groups with weapons, ammunition and food from Turkey via this area, and also to allow it to serve as a passageway for terrorists.".
Australian trainers working with Iraqi forces -- part of the U.S.-led coalition's fight against the IS group is to train Iraqi security forces.