Russia’s defense minister visits Syria, meets Assad

MOSCOW – Russia’s defense minister visited Syria on Saturday to meet the country’s leader and inspect the Russian air base there.

Sergei Shoigu met with President Bashar Assad in Damascus for talks that focused on cooperation between the two militaries and “some aspects of cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Shoigu also visited the Hemeimeem air base in the coastal province of Latakia, according to the Defense Ministry’s spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.

The Pentagon said it held a video conference Saturday with the Russian military to discuss Russian airstrikes conducted Thursday on the Al-Tanf border garrison.

“Russia’s continued strikes at Al-Tanf, even after U.S. attempts to inform Russian forces through proper channels of ongoing coalition air support to the counter-ISIL forces, created safety concerns for U.S. and coalition forces,” it said in a statement.

The conference was held as part of bilateral communications intended to prevent incidents in the crowded skies over Syria.