Russia, US Discuss Aleppo Airstrikes

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described his country’s airstrikes in Syria as “limited” on Thursday. The comments came during a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Meeting on Thursday on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Lima, Peru,  Lavrov and Kerry discussed the conflicts in Aleppo, Ukraine, Libya and Yemen, Deutsche Welle reported.

Kerry said he and the Russian diplomat discussed “all aspects” of the fighting in Aleppo, including the renewed bombing in the Syrian city this week. Lavrov denied that Russian military carried out airstrikes in militant-held Aleppo this week.

“Our air force and the Syrian air force only work in the provinces of Idlib and Homs to prevent the ISIL who might be leaving Mosul from getting to Syria,” said Lavrov, referencing militants of the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq.

Airstrikes in militant-held areas of Aleppo killed dozens earlier this week, according to a monitoring group, Syrian activists and rescue workers after a four-week pause in fighting ended on Tuesday.

Negotiations between the US and Russia failed to create a long-term ceasefire in Aleppo, a heavily embattled city in the ongoing Syrian civil war. Russia supports Syrian President Bashar Assad while US supports a number of militant groups opposed to Assad.