The United States' new envoy to the coalition it leads against ISIS said on today its priority was to seal the last strip of border between Turkey and territory held by the ultra-hardline group in Syria.
Baghdad:
The United States' new envoy to the coalition it leads against ISIS said on today its priority was to seal the last strip of border between Turkey and territory held by the ultra-hardline group in Syria.
The United States and Turkey have for months been talking of a joint effort to clear ISIS from the remaining part of the frontier but there has been no sign of progress.
"We are increasing our pressure there," said Brett McGurk, without elaborating.
The aim is to deprive ISIS of a smuggling route that has swollen its ranks with foreign fighters and filled its coffers with illicit trade.
McGurk, who was appointed by US President Barack Obama in October, also said that only 30 percent of airstrikes conducted by Russia in Syria targeted ISIS and the rest hit "other armed groups".
"Our air campaign in Syria, we think it's very effective and we have the data to back that up. The Russian air campaign has different objectives quite frankly," he said at a briefing for the media in Baghdad.
Russia launched airstrikes in Syria at the end of September in support of its ally, President Bashar al-Assad, with the stated aim of hitting ISIS.
The West has accused Moscow of mostly targeting Western-backed rebel groups fighting Assad, and a Reuters analysis of Russian Defence Ministry data in October showed almost 80 per cent of Russia's declared targets in Syria had been in areas not held by ISIS.
The United States and Turkey have for months been talking of a joint effort to clear ISIS from the remaining part of the frontier but there has been no sign of progress.
"We are increasing our pressure there," said Brett McGurk, without elaborating.
The aim is to deprive ISIS of a smuggling route that has swollen its ranks with foreign fighters and filled its coffers with illicit trade.
McGurk, who was appointed by US President Barack Obama in October, also said that only 30 percent of airstrikes conducted by Russia in Syria targeted ISIS and the rest hit "other armed groups".
"Our air campaign in Syria, we think it's very effective and we have the data to back that up. The Russian air campaign has different objectives quite frankly," he said at a briefing for the media in Baghdad.
Russia launched airstrikes in Syria at the end of September in support of its ally, President Bashar al-Assad, with the stated aim of hitting ISIS.
The West has accused Moscow of mostly targeting Western-backed rebel groups fighting Assad, and a Reuters analysis of Russian Defence Ministry data in October showed almost 80 per cent of Russia's declared targets in Syria had been in areas not held by ISIS.
© Thomson Reuters 2015
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