Pentagon confirms US is utilizing hotline with Russia in Syria
The Pentagon has stated that the US continues to communicate with Russia in order to avoid any potential miscalculations during the ongoing terrorist offensive in Syria. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The US and its allies in the Middle East are utilizing a de-escalation hotline with Russia to avoid potential clashes amid the ongoing terrorist offensive in Syria, according to Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder.
Recently, the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham terrorist group, an offshoot of Jabhat al-Nusra, along with its allies, launched a surprise attack in Syria. This resulted in the group pushing back government forces and seizing significant territory in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces.
The Syrian Army reportedly managed to halt the jihadist advances in several locations along a 100km front, with support from numerous Russian airstrikes, which Moscow claims have killed hundreds of militants.
During a press briefing on Monday, Ryder indicated that Washington is maintaining communication with Moscow amid the current escalation. “My understanding is that the CJTFOIR [Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve] commander has used the hotline that we have with Russia to ensure that we have open lines of communication given the fact that we do have forces operating in fairly close proximity as it relates geographically to Syria,” he stated.
While Ryder did not provide specifics about the discussions with Russian officials, he emphasized that the two nations “have that communication mechanism to prevent potential miscalculation.” He added that the US is actively monitoring the situation and remains in contact with other regional partners.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on these developments. Moscow became involved in the Syrian conflict in 2015 at the request of the Damascus government and has played a pivotal role in defeating the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations.
Regarding the recent terrorist offensive, Ryder emphasized that America is “in no way involved in the operations you see playing out in and around Aleppo in northwestern Syria.” He pointed out that the US, along with Russia and several other countries, has classified HTS as a terrorist organization.
Ryder also stated that while Washington advocates for de-escalation, it remains committed to defeating IS and is “fully prepared to defend and protect our personnel and assets deployed to the region to include our forces deployed to Syria.”
The US has approximately 900 troops stationed in Syria with the stated purpose of combating terrorism. However, Damascus maintains that the presence of American troops is illegal, accusing them primarily of “stealing oil.” In August 2022, Syrian and Russian officials claimed that US-affiliated entities were “illegally export[ing]” up to 66,000 barrels of oil daily from Syria.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Recently, the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham terrorist group, an offshoot of Jabhat al-Nusra, along with its allies, launched a surprise attack in Syria. This resulted in the group pushing back government forces and seizing significant territory in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces.
The Syrian Army reportedly managed to halt the jihadist advances in several locations along a 100km front, with support from numerous Russian airstrikes, which Moscow claims have killed hundreds of militants.
During a press briefing on Monday, Ryder indicated that Washington is maintaining communication with Moscow amid the current escalation. “My understanding is that the CJTFOIR [Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve] commander has used the hotline that we have with Russia to ensure that we have open lines of communication given the fact that we do have forces operating in fairly close proximity as it relates geographically to Syria,” he stated.
While Ryder did not provide specifics about the discussions with Russian officials, he emphasized that the two nations “have that communication mechanism to prevent potential miscalculation.” He added that the US is actively monitoring the situation and remains in contact with other regional partners.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on these developments. Moscow became involved in the Syrian conflict in 2015 at the request of the Damascus government and has played a pivotal role in defeating the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations.
Regarding the recent terrorist offensive, Ryder emphasized that America is “in no way involved in the operations you see playing out in and around Aleppo in northwestern Syria.” He pointed out that the US, along with Russia and several other countries, has classified HTS as a terrorist organization.
Ryder also stated that while Washington advocates for de-escalation, it remains committed to defeating IS and is “fully prepared to defend and protect our personnel and assets deployed to the region to include our forces deployed to Syria.”
The US has approximately 900 troops stationed in Syria with the stated purpose of combating terrorism. However, Damascus maintains that the presence of American troops is illegal, accusing them primarily of “stealing oil.” In August 2022, Syrian and Russian officials claimed that US-affiliated entities were “illegally export[ing]” up to 66,000 barrels of oil daily from Syria.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
