Assad says Syria 'receives messages on US-led air strikes against Islamic State'
SYRIAN President Bashar al-Assad has confirmed that his government is receiving messages about the US-led campaign of air strikes against the Islamic State terror group.
In an interview with the BBC today, Assad said there was no direct cooperation with the United States, whose air force has been bombing IS in Syria since September as part of a strategy aimed at crushing the group.
But third parties -including Iraq - have been conveying general messages, he confirmed.
Asked if there was indirect cooperation, Assad said: "That's true, through third parties, more than one party, Iraq and other countries, sometimes they convey a message, a general message, but there is nothing tactical."
The US has previously said Assad cannot be a partner in the campaign against the group, describing him as part of the problem.
Since summer last year, IS has seized large swathes of areas in Syria and Iraq, declaring them part of a cross-border "caliphate."
The Syrian government is waging its own, separate campaign against the terror group, including air strikes in areas that have also been struck by the US-led alliance.
That's true, through third parties, more than one party, Iraq and other countries, sometimes they convey a message, a general message, but there is nothing tactical
It had been widely assumed that Syrian and US armies have conveyed information about the movements of jets using the same air space.
Assad said the Syrian government had known about the US-led campaign before it started but did not have details.
However he ruled out joined the international coalition because he "cannot be in an alliance with countries which support terrorism."
He said: "No, definitely we cannot and we don't have the will and we don't want, for one simple reason - because we cannot be in an alliance with countries which support terrorism."
Asked if there was ongoing dialogue via third parties, he said: "There is no dialogue. There is, let's say, information, but not dialogue."
In September, the US government confirmed in September, that it had informed the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations ahead of the first strikes.
During the interview Assad also strongly denied his government had been dropping barrel bombs on rebel-held areas, killing thousands of innocent civilians.
He added: "We have bombs, missiles and bullets.. There is no barrel bombs, we don't have barrels."
