Russian military receive very valuable information from Kurds about work carried out in Raqqah area - Gen. Konashenkov
KAWKAB, Hama province, Syria. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian military receive intelligence from Kurdish liberation forces and other patriotic opposition groups, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov told reporters on Wednesday.
"At least we are getting information from them. In particular, about the targets of the ISIL terror group [banned in Russia]," he said when asked about the relations between the Russian military and the Kurdish liberation forces.
The Kurds provide very valuable information about the work being carried out in the Raqqah area, he said.
The Russian military in Syria have been getting "very serious intelligence from various patriotic opposition groups" for almost three months now, the general said. "It really deserves attention and is very valuable. But I want to stress once again that our specialists crosscheck it through various channels. And only when it is confirmed that a strike is carried out against terrorist targets," Konashenko said.
There is no such information sharing with the Americans, he said. With them, information sharing is about the reconciliation process, aviation sorties and the aerial work proper, the general said.
The four-party center in Baghdad has proved efficient, he also said. "It has proved itself well last fall and earlier this year. The information that came from there is really very valuable," Konashenkov said.
This information too is thoroughly crosschecked, in particular, via space and aerial reconnaissance channels, he said. "And of course one has to understand that for all this to have good efficiency - I stress once again, and any military professional will tell you that - there is a need for intelligence 'from the ground.' And that is the General Staff of the Syrian Armed Forces, because they are in close touch with the militants," Konashenkov said.
