Russia's attacks on moderate rebels draw criticism

Recent alleged Russian attack on a school in Damascus' suburb where main opposition figures were holding a secret meeting appeared as another proof that Russia targets Western-backed rebels rather than Daesh. In the attack, leader of Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam), Zahran Alloush was killed which has drawn criticism from major players in Syria, including the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

Russia continues to launch airstrikes on opposition groups and civilians living in opposition-held areas, under the pretext of "counter-terrorism." Since Sept. 30, when Russia began carrying out airstrikes in war-torn Syria, Turkey and a number of Western countries have warned Russia to "target Daesh, not the opposition." The Kremlin, for its part, claimed the strikes had been aimed at Daesh. Russian President Vladimir Putin even alleged to providing air support for the Free Syrian Army in its fight against Daesh. Contrary to Russia's claims, a number of Syrian groups, including northern Aleppo-based al-Sham Front and several Turkmen troops were among the opposition groups targeted by Russia.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States did not provide support to Alloush's group and had concerns about its "behavior on the battlefield," but noted that Army of Islam had fought Daesh militants and was participating in the political dialogue to end Syria's civil war. "So the strike on Alloush and others in Army of Islam and other opposition groups do in fact complicate efforts to bring about meaningful political negotiations and a nationwide ceasefire," Toner said in response to questions at a State Department briefing. "We need progress on both these efforts in the coming weeks." "It doesn't send the most constructive message to carry out a strike like that," he added, noting that the United States hoped the attacks would not reverse progress toward negotiations. Asked if Washington had raised the issue with Moscow, Toner said there had been conversations between the two sides but he was not certain whether that specific issue had been discussed directly. The U.N. mediator for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, plans to convene representatives of the Syrian government and a broad spectrum of Syrian opposition groups for negotiations in Geneva on Jan. 25. De Mistura's spokesman announced the timing for the meeting on Saturday, just a day after Alloush was killed. The statement urged participants not to be deterred by developments on the ground. Toner said the United States would "encourage the opposition to fully participate in this process" and not to be swayed by the air strike that killed Alloush.

Saudi Arabia denounced on Tuesday the killing of Alloush, saying his death in a Russian air strike last week did not serve the cause of peace in Syria. "We believe that assassinating Zahran Alloush or fighting leaders that have supported a peaceful solution and fights Daesh in Syria does not serve the peace process in Syria," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told journalists.

Amid reports of indiscriminate killing by Russia, including the use of cluster bombs, Secretary of State John Kerry called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier this week to share his concerns. U.S. officials wouldn't describe Lavrov's response. "The reports of Russian attacks on Syrian civilians are extremely disturbing," Toner told reporters Tuesday. Activist accounts suggest Russian strikes "killed hundreds of civilians, including first responders" and "hit medical facilities, schools and markets," he said. The campaign uprooted some 130,000 Syrians in October and the first half of November alone, Toner said. An Amnesty International report last week cited evidence of Russian use of cluster munitions and unguided bombs in populated residential areas. The group denounced what it called Russia's "shameful failure" to acknowledge civilian killings.

Russian airstrikes have been helping the regime troops to gain new territories against the rebels. Syria's army backed by heavy Russian air strikes clashed with rebels holding a town on a supply route close to the border with Jordan on Wednesday as part of a major government assault to try and regain southern territory, rebels and residents said. Rebels from an array of groups, some of them backed by Western powers, fought back against the offensive near a former air base north of the town of Sheikh Maskin, insurgents at the scene told Reuters. "The army is making progress with heavy Russian aerial bombing. The raids are not stopping we have had over 40 raids in the last 24 hours alone," said Abu Alaa al-Haurani, a commander in a-Failaq al Awal, part of the Southern Front of Western-backed rebels. The recapture of Sheikh Maskin, located at the heart of Deraa province, would consolidate the army's hold over the heavily fortified region which has formed a southern line of defense protecting Damascus. Rebels from another mainstream anti-Assad armed opposition alongside some groups said they shelled army posts in the city of Izraa, a main government held town that has major fortifications and is based to the east of Sheikh Maskin. Activists and residents say Russian air strikes, in which missiles and bombs are launched from high altitude, are distinct from Syrian air force strikes which rely more on untreated barrel bombs dropped from helicopters flying at lesser height.