Russia carried out new airstrikes inside Syria Thursday, but instead of the strikes targeting ISIS like initially expected, Sen. John McCain revealed that some of the strikes were targeting CIA-backed rebels fighting the Assad regime.
"Their initial strikes were against the individuals and the groups that have been funded and trained by our CIA, in a credible flaunting of any kind of cooperation or effort to conceal what (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's priority is - and that is, of course, to prop up (Syrian President) Bashar Assad," McCain (R-Ariz.), said on CNN's "New Day."
Syria's ambassador to Russia, Riad Haddad, appeared to confirm this allegation.
During a news conference Thursday, he stated the airstrikes were being carried out in "complete cooperation" with the Syrian army, noting that any armed group fighting the Syrian forces is considered terrorist. As such, in the eyes of the Syrian government, the Free Syrian Army is no different from ISIS, according to NBC's South Carolina affiliate WYFF4.
Russian Defense Ministry Igor Konashenkov also gave credence to the accusation, reported Fox News. In a series of televised comments, he stated unidentified groups along with ISIS were targeted in the first airstrike. He did note, however, that Thursday's airstrike damaged or destroyed 12 ISIS targets, including a command center.
However, Syrian National Council, a group opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, refuted that claim, noting at least 36 people had been killed by the airstrikes since Wendesday. The group's leader, Khaled Khoja, said that none of the area's targeted by Russian planes Wednesday contained militants from ISIS.
He later went on to call Moscow's claim that it was helping the U.S.-led coalition defeat ISIS "baseless."
Officials in the White House are waiting to see how the situation pans out in the coming days before making its next move.
