Washington, Reuters, 28 December 2016 – The US State Department said on Tuesday the United States was not providing any shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles to the Syrian opposition.

Russia said on Tuesday that a US decision to ease restrictions on arming Syrian rebels had opened the way for deliveries of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, a move it said would directly threaten Russian forces in Syria.

“The fact is that we’re not providing any kind of MANPADS … to the Syrian opposition,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. “Our position on MANPADS has not changed, we would have a very deep concern about that kind of weaponry getting into Syria.