Orient Net, 5 March 2018— The United States has accused Moscow of “brutal” complicity in civilian deaths in Syria’s eastern Ghouta region, saying that Russian aircraft have flown bombing missions targeting the opposition-held enclave in defiance of a United Nations cease-fire.

The remarks from the White House on March 4 represented some of the harshest comments directed toward Russia for its support of Assad regime in Syria.

“The United States condemns the ongoing military offensive that the Assad regime, backed by Russia and Iran, is perpetrating against the people of eastern Ghouta,” the White House said in a statement.

It said Russian military aircraft launched from Hmeimim airfield in Syria and carried out at least 20 bombing missions a day near Damascus and eastern Ghouta between February 24-28.

“Russia has gone on to ignore [a UN cease-fire’s] terms and to kill innocent civilians under the false auspices of counterterrorism operations,” it said.

Earlier on March 4, US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed in a phone call that the Assad regime and its Russian backers bore responsibility for the “heartbreaking human suffering” in Ghouta, May’s office said.