Pentagon: Russia knowingly hit US-backed SDF in Syria

Russian air strikes have targeted US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and coalition advisers east of the Euphrates River in Syria's Deir Az Zor province, according to the Pentagon.

Saturday's incident wounded several SDF fighters, but the coalition advisers were unharmed, it said in a statement.

"Russian munitions impacted a location known to the Russians to contain Syrian Democratic Forces and coalition advisers," the Pentagon said.

Russia's military spokesman earlier denied targeting SDF, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters.

"This is not possible. Why would we bomb them?" Igor Konashenkov, Russia's military spokesman, told AFP news agency at the Hmeimim base, Moscow's main outpost for its air operations in Syria.
 [aljazeera.com]
 16/9/17