Russia rejects allegation it bombed US-backed fighters in Syria

MOSCOW – The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday denied it had bombed US-backed militias in Syria, saying its planes only targeted Islamic State militants and that it had warned the United States well in advance of its operational plans.

US-backed militias said they came under attack on Saturday from Russian jets and Syrian government forces in Deir ez-Zor province, a flashpoint in an increasingly complex battlefield.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias fighting with the US-led coalition, said six of its fighters had been wounded in the strike.