BEIRUT: Air strikes blamed by Moscow and Damascus on the US-led coalition hit a Syrian army position in the east on Saturday, killing more than 60 soldiers, the Russian army said.

The situation in Syria was deteriorating fast, the Russian military said earlier, adding that the United States would be responsible if the current ceasefire broke down.

“Warplanes from the international anti-jihadist coalition carried out four air strikes today against Syrian forces surrounded by the [militant] Islamic State [IS] group in the Deir Ezzor airbase,” a Russian army statement said.

Situation in Syria deteriorating fast, says Russia

“Sixty-two Syrian soldiers were killed and a hundred others were injured in these strikes.”

The Russian military said two F-16 and two A-10 jets flew into Syrian airspace from neighbouring Iraq to carry out the strikes.

“Straight after the coalition’s strikes, IS militants launched an offensive,” said the statement, adding that “fierce fighting against the terrorists” ensued nearby.

“If these strikes were due to an error in the target coordinates, that would be a direct consequence of the US refusal to coordinate with Russia its fight against the terrorist groups in Syria,” it said.

The IS-affiliated Amaq news outlet said IS had seized the hill where the air strikes took place.

Syrian state media also said coalition aircraft carried out the strikes near Deir Ezzor airport and state news agency SANA spoke of casualties, without specifying a number.

Britain-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 80 soldiers were killed, but could not specify who carried out the raids.

Syria’s army has been fighting off a fierce offensive by IS on the Deir Ezzor military airbase since last year.

“This is a dangerous and bold attack against the Syrian state and army, and clear evidence that the United States and its allies support the terrorist group Daesh,” the army statement reported by the SANA official news agency said, referring to IS.

“The situation in Syria is worsening,” Russian General Vladimir Savchenko said in a televised briefing earlier. “In the past 24 hours, the number of attacks has risen sharply.”

He said 12 civilians had been killed in some 55 attacks on government positions and civilians.

Russian military officials lashed out at the United States in the strongest language yet over the ceasefire struck last week in Geneva.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2016