Syrian Envoy to UN Calls for 'Prompt' Dissolution of US-Led Coalition

The US-led coalition in Syria must be dissolved because forces backed by Washington have killed innocent people and destroyed vital civilian infrastructure in violation of numerous UN resolutions, Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar Jaafari said in a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council president on Thursday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The letter accused coalition forces of killing innocent civilians while destroying hospitals, schools and infrastructure, and also interfering with anti-terror operations by rival groups.

"The Syrian Arab Republic once again calls on the States members of the coalition to distance themselves from the crimes that the coalition has committed in their name, and promptly to dissolve the coalition," Jaafari stated.

Jaafari cited an August 1, 2017, coalition airstrike, which he said resulted into death of more than 60 civilians, most of whom were women and children, because missiles were fired at residential neighborhoods in the Deir ez-Zor governorate.

Following the alleged strike, the US-led coalition updated the number of civilian casualties in its anti-Daesh operation in Syria and Iraq that has risen to 624 people since the start of the campaign.

The US-led coalition of more than 70 members is conducting airstrikes and ground-based artillery and rocket fire against Daesh (outlawed in Russia).

The letter said that coalition actions in Syria have not been authorized by the UN Security Council and are opposed by the government of President Bashar Assad.