Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimov: “Daesh (‘Islamic State’) formations comprise up to 70,000 gunmen, US and its allies (which provided financial and technical assistance to this mercenary gangs) step up efforts to aggravate crisis in Syria”

Сhief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov

Islamic State formations comprise up to 70,000 gunmen

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. The Islamic State organization is currently turning into a key element of radical Islam in the Middle East and has a tendency towards further growth, Chief of the Russian General Staff General Valery Gerasimov said on Wednesday at a meeting with military attaches of a number of countries.

According to him, the critical problem now is countering the organization’s activity. “According to our estimates, the Islamic State formations operating in Syria and Iraq now comprise up to 70,000 gunmen of various nationalities,” said the chief of the Russian General Staff.

“It is noteworthy that it is the United States that had previously provided financial and technical assistance to this group in the fight against the Syrian government,” he said.

“Washington at present is creating an international coalition for Operation Inherent Resolve, as well as launching airstrikes on the Islamic State groupings in Iraq and Syria. The White House in the meantime has made statements that only a ground operation is capable of inflicting a considerable blow on the terrorist group forces,” Gerasimov said.

Islamic State is a radical Islamist group which has seized territory across northern and western Iraq and eastern Syria. Its brutal tactics – including mass killings and abductions of members of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as the beheadings of soldiers and journalists – have sparked fear and outrage across the world and prompted US military intervention.

Russian Chief-of-Staff: US and its allies step up efforts to aggravate crisis in Syria

Moscow, SANA, Russian Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov stressed that the US and its Western allies are intensifying their support to the armed terrorist organizations in Syria with the aim of changing its legitimate government.

Meeting foreign Military attaches in Russia, Gen. Gerasimov said ..foreign aid to armed terrorist organizations in Syria is continually increasing and the international political and media pressure on the Syrian leadership is stepped up with the aim of aggravating the crisis in the country.

He added .. “Up to 70,000 militants of various nationalities” are fighting with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria “ISIS”, indicating that the United States has provided financial and technical assistance to this group in its fight against the Syrian Arab army.

Earlier, Gen. Gerasimov announced that the US is involved and has a military existence in every hotbed of tension in the world, adding that after bringing the so-called “democracy” for those countries, they turn into areas where bloodshed prevails.

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