US, Russia to resume talks over air safety

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MOSCOW: Press Secretary Pentagon Peter Cook said Russia has agreed to resume talks with the US on air safety during Syria bombing campaigns. The talks are likely to take place this weekend.

The decision has been taken after United Nations pressure against violating air space of UN member Turkey, airstrikes in Syria and reports of airstrikes in Iran.

The differences over bombing campaigns in Syria could lead to an accidental clash between the two countries.

US and Russian officials conducted talks on air safety via video conference on Oct 1, but the US had complained that they had heard nothing from Moscow since then.

Earlier this week, Pentagon officials said they had had to carry out at least one safe separation manoeuvre to avoid a US jet coming too close to a Russian aircraft over Syria.

They said this happened after Oct 1, without giving a specific date.

Talks are likely to deal with how much separation there should between US and Russian aircraft and which language and radio frequencies crews should use for communications.

Russia has said it is targeting positions of so-called Islamic State (IS) but there are concerns that it is bombing other rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.

Reports on Friday said IS had seized several villages near the northern city of Aleppo from rival insurgents.

An international media organisation’s representative said Russian airstrikes seem to be mostly hitting other Syrian opposition forces which pose more of a threat to the Syrian government.

The Russian campaign appears to have weakened these groups, and given IS the opportunity to push forward, he adds.

But Moscow has dismissed claims that its week of strikes has mainly hit non-IS targets.

Russia has also launched cruise missiles against targets in Syria from warships in the Caspian Sea, about 1,500km away.