Separation of terrorists from opposition forces in Syria to allow improving coordination of ISIL rivals' actions - Russian ambassador in Damascus
MOSCOW. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Two adversarial fronts of extremists and moderate opposition forces are currently taking shape in northern Syria, the emergence of a clear-drawn border between them will allow for combat aviation to more effectively deliver strikes on terrorists, Russian Ambassador in Damascus Alexander Kinshchak said.
"The process seems to have started. I see a substantively positive aspect for us in this - in the sense that accurate borders between the territories controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra [a terrorist group outlawed in Russia] and radical Jihadists who joined it and armed opposition units which have joined the truce ought to appear," Kinshchak said in an interview with Interfax.
This division "will allow for more efficient use of the combat aviation in those areas which have been seized by the al-Qaeda militants [the Jabhat al-Nusra militants and their accomplices]," he said.
"I think that such a separation will also promote in the future the improvement of coordination of anti-terrorist actions between governmental forces, the Kurds and the Free Syrian Army, which are today fighting against their common enemy in the person of ISIL [a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia] in the northeast and east of the country," the head of the Russian diplomatic mission said.
"Efforts are being presently taken to set up two large unions of militants. Smaller gangs of radical Islamists, including, by the way, some participants of the meeting in Astana are uniting around al-Nusra under its black flags," Kinshchak said, elaborating that this is the Movement of Nureddin Az-Zanki.
"The Ahrar Ash-Sham group, which is also actively being reinforced by 'like-minded folks' from other illegal armed units are countering attempts by al-Nusra terrorists with their allies to establish full control over the northern areas in Syria. Some gangs are remaining neutral at this point," he also said.