Russian officials said the US launched an attack during a ceasefire "in violation of all agreements." The US justified the strike, saying it targeted al-Qaida leaders "responsible for attacks threatening US citizens."
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The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday accused the US of undermining a ceasefire in the Syrian province of Idlib after it launched airstrikes against al-Qaida leaders overnight.
US Central Command on Saturday said it had conducted a strike against al-Qaida in Idlib and that it targeted "leaders responsible for attacks threatening US citizens, our partners and innocent civilians."
Russian officials accused the US of undermining efforts to end fighting in Idlib by launching strikes without prior authorization in the so-called de-escalation zone.
Senior Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev said the attack was conducted "in violation of all agreements and without preliminary notification of key powers fighting terrorism in the region," in comments carried by the state-run TASS news agency.
"The US airstrike on the de-escalation zone in Syria's Idlib … was delivered in order to first of all, show that Washington is not planning to reckon with anyone else and second, that it keeps an active role in the Syrian process," said Kosachev, who chairs Russia's parliamentary committee for foreign affairs.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said his government was working with Moscow "to avoid new massacres and migration waves despite the regime's provocation in Idlib."
Turkey supports rebel factions in Idlib and is considered one of the ceasefire's guarantors, along with Russia. However, Ankara has clashed with the Syrian regime, accusing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of undermining peace efforts with fresh offensives.
The Syrian government has urged Turkey to withdraw its forces from Idlib immediately or face further consequences.
"Erdogan will be forced to leave Syrian land," senior Assad adviser Bouthaina Shaaban told local media on Saturday. "This is our decision, not by his choice."
Syria's civil war erupted out of the Arab Spring protests that swept much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in multiple warring factions from around the world.
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War with no end
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/A. Al-Bushy
The dictator
Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.
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The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
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The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
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The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
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The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
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The new jihadists
"Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
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The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nusra Front on Twitter
The Persian shadow
Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.
