US-led coalition against ISIL has failed: Russia

Russia says the US-led international coalition purporting to fight the Takfiri ISIL terrorist group has failed to accomplish its declared mission in Iraq and Syria.

“Despite efforts taken by the so-called anti-terrorist coalition led by the United States,” ISIL is operating “ever more actively,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The ministry referred to the terrorist group’s recent takeover of the historic Syrian city of Palmyra, describing the development as an indication of the US-led coalition’s inability to rein in the terrorist group.

“The recent gains by the militants in Syria (Palmyra) and the brutal executions of civilians that followed demonstrate the ineffectiveness of the [US-led] coalition’s approach,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

According to the Syrian state television, the ISIL terrorists have executed some 400 civilians, mostly women and children, in the historic city, which is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry accused certain Western and regional countries of employing double-standards in the fight against ISIL.

“Once again, we urge international and regional parties to abandon the vicious practice of using double-standard approaches to fighting against terrorism, and launch efficient cooperation with the governments of Middle East countries, which are directly repelling the ISIS (ISIL) offensive,” the ministry said.

The US and some of its allies have been reportedly carrying out air raids against what they say are ISIL positions in Iraq since August 2014. Since last September, some members of the US-led coalition have also been pounding purported ISIL positions inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate.

Many regional countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which have joined the so-called anti-terror coalition, have been the supporters of the Takfiri groups.

The Russian Foreign Ministry further said, “Radicals can be stopped, as Russia consistently proposes, only when the international community unites its efforts on a generally recognized basis of international law and strict implementation of UN Security Council resolutions.”

The ISIL militants currently control some parts of Syria and Iraq. They also have sparse presence elsewhere, including in Libya.

IA/HSN/HJL

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