WASHINGTON // The skies over Syria are increasingly crowded – and increasingly dangerous.
The air forces of multiple countries are on the attack, often at cross purposes in Syria’s civil war, sometimes without coordination.
Now, they are also at risk of unintended conflict.
The latest entry in the air war is Russia. It says it is bombing ISIL extremists in line with US priorities, but Washington says Moscow is mainly striking anti-government rebels in support of its ally, president Bashar Al Assad.
The Russians, who are not coordinating with the Americans, have reportedly hit at least one US-supported rebel group.
That opens the possibility, however unlikely, of the Americans and Russians coming to blows.
Turkey began air strikes in Syria in August as part of the US-led anti-ISIL coalition.
Turkish warplanes are fully integrated into the coalition attack plan, as are those of Australia, which began flying strike missions over Syria in September. France also began bombing in September.
In addition, Syria’s air force is also bombing targets within its borders, hitting both ISIL and anti-government rebels – all of whom Mr Al Assad has labeled “terrorists” with a broad brush.
US and Russian officials held a video teleconference last week on ways to “de-conflict” Syrian airspace or prevent unintended air incidents. No agreement was reached and further talks were expected.
“We are waiting for the Russians. They owe us a response,” said US defence secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday, reflecting urgent concerns about Russian aircraft breaching Turkish airspace.
“These meetings were their initiative in the first place. It’s only professional that you follow through,” he said at a Spanish-US air base in Moron de la Frontera in southern Spain.
Hours later, a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Moscow had indicated it was willing to resume talks but no date had been set.
The introduction of the Russian planes in the crowded skies over Syria endangers not only air forces and military pilots, but non-combatants on the ground as well.
So far, the Russians have flown mainly in western Syria, relatively far from US and coalition flights in the country’s north and east.
The picture darkened further on Monday as Turkey’s prime minister vowed to protect the nation’s borders after a Russian fighter jet entered Turkish airspace from Syria over the weekend. The incursion, which Russia said was an accident, prompted Turkey to scramble jets to intercept the Russian plane. Turkey also lodged a diplomatic protest.
The Russian unauthorised entrance into Turkey’s airspace is more than a Turkey-Russia spat because Turkey is a member of the Nato alliance, while Russia is not.
Mr Carter said he expects the matter to be on the Nato agenda at next week’s meeting in Brussels.
“What we’re seeing now is a lot of different countries and coalitions operating in the skies over Syria,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
“I think it creates a situation that is fraught with danger and very delicate.”
In addition to Turkey, France and Australia, the US coalition partners participating in the Syria air campaign include Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Canada.
Syria is an unusually complicated case.
Mr Al Assad has his own air force, as well as air defences capable of threatening US or other coalition aircraft. So far, he has not done so, but the situation is growing more complex as Russia is further involved militarily.
The US military has played down the possibility of air accidents in Syria.
“While there’s always the potential for miscalculation and for accidents, it’s important to remember that there is a lot of square miles in Syria,” Col Steve Warren, spokesman for the US military headquarters in Baghdad who is managing the air campaign in Iraq and Syria, said last week.
“Most of these strikes are two or four aircraft participating. They fly in, they strike, they depart.”
* Agencies
