Ekip
01 October 2015•Update: 01 October 2015
BAGHDAD
Iraqi President Fouad Maasoum on Thursday welcomed recent Russian airstrikes against positions in Syria held by the Daesh militant group.
Maasoum stressed the need for “international cooperation to help Iraq and other countries of the region reign in this terrorist gang [Daesh].”
The president went on to emphasize Iraq’s readiness to “work with any country with a view to eradicating terrorism” as long as Iraq’s “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity are respected.”
Maasoum’s comments come one day after Russia – for the very first time – carried out airstrikes in Syria.
On Wednesday afternoon, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov confirmed that Russian warplanes had struck several Daesh positions in the war-torn country.
According to Konashenkov, Wednesday’s airstrikes – which, he said, had been ordered directly by Russian President Vladimir Putin – had targeted Daesh munitions depots, vehicles and communications centers.
Additional Russian airstrikes in Syria were reported on Thursday.
On Thursday evening, following a flurry of speculation that Russia planned to expand its air campaign into Iraq, several parts of which are held by Daesh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov appeared to throw cold water on the notion.
“We are not planning to expand our airstrikes in Iraq,” he said following a meeting with U.S. counterpart John Kerry at UN headquarters in New York.
“We were not invited; we were not asked, and we are polite people,” Lavrov said. “We don’t come if not invited.”
