The Pentagon today accused Russia of using cluster bombs in Syria, banned by international convention which have not joined the United States or Rusia.
The spokesman for the US mission to the Islamic State (EI), Steven Warren, said in a press conference that publicly available data show that Russia has been using cluster bombs in its bombing.
However, Warren would not confirm further details based on intelligence sources or whether the bombs have fallen in urban areas with presence of civilians.
Syrian activists and NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported that since the beginning of the Russian offensive in Syria, in late September, Russian fighters have launched cluster bombs near the cities of Idlib and Hama.
In 2008, the Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted to ban the use of these weapons, with the sum to date of 116 countries, among which are found neither Russia nor the United States.
USA it has been proposed to replace in 2018 this type of ammunition, which disperses small explosives similar to landmines over large areas, another type least likely to harm civilians.
On the other hand, Warren also said that with the entry of Russia into the theater of war has made Syria the Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad has "increased the offensive activity" in Aleppo, opposition stronghold, but "will be a tough battle and we do not welcome to take control Asad ".
US takes over a year pounding from the air Sunni jihadist Islamic states in Syria and Iraq, while Russia has entered the theater of Syrian operations with the intention of supporting the regime in Damascus attacking all opposition forces, including EI.
Warren said today that Russia has just hit "a small fraction" of the terrorists of EI.
The spokesman also said it will continue to support moderate a dozen rebel factions have tried to gather forces in so-called "coalition Syrian-Arab".
The spokesman confirmed that Turkey has moved to attack aircraft A-10 aircraft in support of ground troops, something that could advance efforts to advance US-backed militias in Syria.
The A-10 flies slower and lower altitude than the F-16 or F-22, which expose pilots knockdowns.