Russia has slammed the "illegal" presence of US troops in Syria as "a dangerous obstacle" to finding a peace settlement.
"From being a factor in the fight against terrorism, the illegal American presence in Syria is becoming a dangerous obstacle to the path to a settlement," Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news briefing on Wednesday.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.
The US has long been accused of providing safe passage and logistical support to the terrorists, who have been fighting to topple the Damascus government since early 2011.
Currently, American military forces maintain a significant presence in Syria’s north, where they openly support the anti-Damascus Kurdish militants.
The US and its allies have also been running an illegal bombing campaign against what is claimed to be Daesh positions. Those raids have done little to uproot terrorism and, instead, hampered Syrian army advances against militants on numerous occasions.
Furthermore, the military alliance has repeatedly been accused of targeting and killing civilians.
