MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Daesh (banned in numerous countries, including Russia) and other terrorist groups appear to continue receiving funding, equipment and other kinds of support from outside sources, despite all measures taken by the United Nations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov said.
"Undoubtedly, the crucial challenge that the international community is currently facing is to put an end to ISIL and other terrorist organizations, recognized by the UN, including Nusra Front [banned in Russia, rebranded and eventually merged with other groups]… Unfortunately, in spite of the steps taken by the UN, we can still see that ISIL [Daesh] and, perhaps ever more so, other terrorist groups mentioned, receive funding, equipment and other kinds of material support from outside," the deputy foreign minister said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
According to Syromolotov, terrorists keep receiving weapons, ammunition, military equipment, "not to mention regular political cover for the terrorists and extremists, using counter-terror issues to achieve cynical political and geopolitical objectives."
"How else could IS [Daesh] militants resist regular armed forces of several states for so many years?" the deputy minister said.
Daesh has been able to establish control over large territories in Syria and Iraq, but has lost many of its gains over the last year. It has also claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the world.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov went on to say that the western smear campaign regarding the actions of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria plays into the hands of terrorists and promotes the radicalization of public sentiment.
According to the minister, "an awful smear campaign for the actions of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria, to the point of justifying terrorists’ actions ‘against Russians’" has been unfolded in the western information sphere.
"We continue thinking that such cynical manipulations of foreign countries played and play into the hands of terrorists, promoting the radicalization of public sentiment, directly and dangerously inciting terrorist attacks," he said in a statement as quoted by the ministry.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported, citing opposition rescue workers, that Russian and Syrian planes killed at least 150 civilians and injured dozens in in an over a week-long campaign in Idlib, which was then refuted by Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov. Konashenkov indicated that Russian planes do not conduct air strikes in Syrian residential areas, calling such reports "manipulation for amateurs."
Western media have disseminated reports on Russia's alleged involvement in civilian casualties in Syria on numerous occasions, without providing any evidence. Moscow calls such accusations groundless, adding that the air strikes are conducted only against terrorists after a thorough target verification based on the reliable military information. So far, the allegations that the Russian Aerospace Forces carry out strikes against civilian targets have never been confirmed.
On September 20 the Russian General Staff reported about the attack against Syrian government troops carried out by al-Nusra Front terrorists who used artillery, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles in the Idlib de-escalation zone.
More interestingly, the militants' offensive was "initiated by US secret services to stop the successful advance of the government troops to the east of Deir ez-Zor," according to the report.
On September 24, the Russian Ministry of Defense released satellite images showing that American Special Ops and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were smoothly advancing along the left shore of the Euphrates towards Deir ez-Zor through Daesh formations facing no resistance from the terrorists.
