U.S.-Led Raid 'Intentional' but Syria Committed to Truce, Says Assad Adviser

A senior adviser to President Bashar Assad Sunday accused U.S.-led coalition forces of carrying out an "intentional" strike against Syrian soldiers, but said Damascus remained committed to a fragile truce.

In a phone interview from the Syrian capital, Buthaina Shaaban told AFP that Assad's government "believes that the strike was intentional."

"None of the facts on the ground show that what happened was a mistake or a coincidence," she said.

On Saturday, the U.S.-led air coalition bombed a Syrian army position near the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, killing as many as 90 soldiers.

Syrian government forces have been battling an Islamic State group offensive near Deir Ezzor since last year.

"Everything was calculated and Daesh knew about it... Even Russia reached the terrifying conclusion that the United States is colluding with Daesh," Shaaban added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

"When Daesh advanced, the raids stopped."

She said that since the U.S.-led intervention began in Syria in 2014, "we have been saying that this is not against Daesh, that they are not striking Daesh." 

Syria's army late Saturday said the raid had allowed IS to gain ground around the key Deir Ezzor airbase.

The coalition admitted that it may have hit the Syrian army, but said it believed it was targeting an IS position there.

The fallout has strained a teetering ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Russia aimed at helping to end Syria's five-year war.

Shaaban said on Sunday the truce was still in place. 

"We are committed to the truce. The truce is continuing until its expiration. Maybe it will be extended, maybe there will be another agreement," she said.

Last week, the Syrian army announced that it would observe a freeze on fighting until midnight on Monday September 19.

Damascus believes Saturday's raid may signal divisions within the American administration on deepening U.S.-Russia cooperation under the truce deal, Shaaban said.

"What is worrying is its (the strike's) effect on the U.S.-Russia agreement. I believe that some elements in the United States do not want this deal," she said.

"There is a side that agrees with the Russians and another side that rejects the agreement. This makes it seem to us that the White House wants this agreement while the Pentagon rejects it."