Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov described US explanations about its base in southern Syria’s At-Tanf as “unintelligible”, raising more questions over the presence of the base in an area that is now liberated by terrorists.

“We say that the location of the US base is contrary to common sense, especially now, when Syrian territory has been liberated from ISIL formations. There is no one left, there is no threat to you from the territory of Syria. What is there and for what purpose? The answers are still unintelligible. However, new terrorist groups may appear there,” Gerasimov told the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper in an interview issued on Wednesday.

The statement follows the US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL Brett McGurk’s announcement made earlier in December, concerning the US military presence at the At-Tanf garrison as well as in other areas of the country. According to McGurk, the coalition will maintain its presence in the country to guarantee that the ISIL terrorists don’t return to the liberated areas.

However, the Russian reconciliation center in Syria, as well as the Russian Defense Ministry have accused the US of establishing a training camp near the al-Rukban refugee camp to create a new so-called “moderate opposition” out of various militia groups and blocking humanitarian aid to the refugees in the camp, banning an approach “closer than 55 kilometers [34 miles] to the compound.

In one of his latest statements, Gerasimov already explained that former ISIL terrorists have formed the so-called New Syrian Army, whose task is to destabilize the situation in the country.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government forces have recently ceased their offensive in the southwest of Damascus after Nusra Front terrorist group was defeated in the area and started engaging in talks.

The chief of the Russian General Staff went on to reveal the tactics, used by militants: in particular, car bombs rigged with explosives, and the response measures of Russian and Syrian troops.

“Adjustments are being constantly made, because the approaches, forms and ways of actions are changing. In the beginning the use of car bombs was low, however, later it became more widespread… Thus, during the battle for Deir ez-Zor, for other settlements in the Euphrates River valley, the use of car bombs have reached almost a mass scale,” Gerasimov said.

Source: Sputnik