Russia's Foreign Ministry says that remarks by a Turkish official regarding the number of sorties by Russian planes in Syria can be considered "official recognition" that the downing on November 24 of a Russian Su-24 jet was pre-planned, RIA Novosti reports.
Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that the Turkish media had published remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, who gave precise details of the number of Russian sorties. According to Konashenkov, this meant that the United States Air Force was passing on to Turkey information given to it by Russia.
"Therefore, on November 24 when the Turkish fighter jet treacherously attacked our Su-24 bomber with a rocket, the Turkish General Staff was well aware at what time and in what area a pair of Russian bombers would carry out their military task," Konashenkov said.
Russia's Defense Ministry is using the hashtag "#FAKEAI" to tweet refutations of the Amnesty International report that accused Russia of causing civilian casualties in air strikes.
In this tweet, the ministry writes that the document "has a well-recognized style -- cliches, assumptions, citing anonymous sources and no evidence."
Libya has no intention of requesting Western air strikes against Islamic State militants in the country anytime soon Libya's U.N. Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi has told Reuters.
A tweet from Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa director:
From The Washington Post's Beirut bureau chief:
Here's a Syria update from our news desk:
Syrian Army Attacks Rebel-Held Town
Activists say Syrian government forces have attacked the rebel-held town of Moadamiyeh, southwest Damascus, with artillery fire as helicopters dropped barrel bombs.
A local media activist, identified as Ahmad, was quoted as saying that helicopters dropped more than 40 barrel bombs on the town and its surrounding areas on December 23.
The attacks come as opposition groups accused government forces of using poison gas in an assault there the previous night.
The Associated Press quoted Ahmad as saying five people died of suffocation following a missile attack late on December 22.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said reliable sources in the area reported that those killed suffered "redness in the eyes, widening of the pupils, and bleeding in the lungs shortly after the shelling."
Amateur videos from a town clinic, made available on December 23, show medics intubating apparently unconscious patients.
They did not appear to have suffered traumatic injuries.
Washington could not confirm the attacks.
Based on reporting by AP and dpa
We are now shutting down the live blog for the winter holidays. Joanna Paraszczuk will be back following developments concerning Islamic State on January 4.