U.S.-Led Airstrikes Kill Dozens of Syrian Troops

American-led airstrikes killed dozens of Syrian troops at a Syrian military base on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The Russian defense ministry said that more than 60 Syrian military personnel were killed in the airstrikes, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the number of dead at 90. The U.S. military said they intended to target so-called Islamic State (ISIS) group positions.

The airstrikes, which also involved Australian jets, came less than a week after the implementation of a cease-fire that has widely held despite claims of transgressions by both the Syrian military and rebel forces.

The United Nations convened an emergency session on Saturday night to discuss the incident. Russia accused the U.S. of threatening the cease-fire, calling the future of the deal “a very big question mark.” Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted as stating that there were “no doubts” that “the White House is defending the Islamic State.” The Syrian army agreed that the strikes presented unquestionable evidence of U.S. backing for ISIS.

The Pentagon said Russian officials were told about the airstrikes before and did not express concern.

U.S. Special Operations Forces Join Turkish Army in Northern Syria

U.S. special operations forces are now working with the Turkish military and a group of Syrian opposition fighters in northern Syria, the Washington Post reported.

U.S. defense officials said that the special operations forces, which the Wall Street Journal reported number around 40 troops, were sent at the request of the Turkish government and with the approval of U.S. president Barack Obama.

The Pentagon said the troops working with the Turks will operate in an advise-and-assist capacity, as they have with other Syrian opposition groups since last year.

The new cooperation comes several weeks after the beginning of “Operation Euphrates Shield,” which the Turkish government says is aimed at clearing out a “terror corridor” along its southern border. The U.S. claimed the Turkish military was targeting the U.S.-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia and not ISIS militants, according to Reuters.

U.S. forces are now effectively embedded with the Turkish military and YPG operating in northern Syria, and aim to encourage both groups to fight their common enemy, ISIS, instead of each other.

Rising Tension Between United States and Russia

The United Nations security council canceled an urgent meeting on Friday amid disagreement and rising tension between Russia and the United States, according to Al Jazeera.

The security council was set to discuss whether or not to endorse the Syria cease-fire agreement, but Russia and the United States, who orchestrated the deal, reportedly could not agree on which particulars to present.

The deal, which was implemented last Monday, hinges on the delivery of humanitarian aid and the cessation of violence.

The Russian defense ministry claimed that only its military and the Syrian government were upholding the agreement, while U.S. president Barack Obama voiced “deep concern” at the blockage of humanitarian aid, little of which has been delivered.

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry called on Russia to fulfill its part of the deal and pressure the Syrian government into halting airstrikes. Kerry said Russia was “showboating” and “grandstanding,” and that humanitarian aid must be allowed to proceed.

RECOMMENDED READS:

• The New Yorker: Even Peace May Not Save Syria
• The Huffington Post: The New Syrian Cease-Fire is a Strategic Defeat for the United States
• The New York Times: His Grip Still Secure, Bashar al-Assad Smiles as Syria Burns
• The Economist: Why Syria’s War is Concentrated in the North
• Foreign Policy: U.S. Commandos Enter, Leave and Return to Syrian Town, With Some Help From Friendly Rebels