WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States has seen some signs of intensified Russian campaign against Daesh (ISIL) positions in the last several weeks, White House Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said on Monday.
"We do see some intensification of Russian efforts against ISIL [Daesh] so it is the case that in the last several weeks we've seen efforts by Russia to target ISIL whereas there were very little at all before that," Rhodes stated in a press briefing.
Rhodes claimed, however, that despite the increase of Russia’s attacks on the Daesh Moscow continues to target “elements of the opposition" in Syria.
"It’s a mixed picture, yes there has been some focus on ISIL…at the same time we continue to believe that there's too much military activity taking place against other elements of the [Syrian] opposition that again have to be a part of the political resolution that we’re pursuing in Vienna," Rhodes said.
Russia began carrying out airstrikes in Syria against terrorist positions in the end of September at the request of President Bashar Assad. The West, however, has been accusing Moscow of targeting opponents of the Assad government, a claim that Russia has repeatedly denied.
The determination of Syrian terrorist and opposition groups by the international community has been a stumbling block in the country’s reconciliation process. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week the Vienna process cannot move forward without an agreed list of terrorist organizations.
