Lavrov: US gave Russia 5 minutes warning of Syria airstrike

The US notified the Russian military about the airstrikes on Syria five minutes before they were delivered, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. "Our military was warned four or five minutes in advance. Of course, this has no value, even from the angle of deconfliction, as they say in relations between Russian and US servicemen. This kind of notice given at a time when the strike is already being performed," Lavrov told journalists at a news conference.

A US airstrike in Syria targeted facilities belonging to a powerful Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group, killing one of their militiamen and wounding a number of others, an Iraqi militia official said Friday.

The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a rocket attack in Iraq earlier this month that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a US service member and other coalition troops.

The airstrike was the first military action undertaken by the Biden administration. Earlier, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the US action was a "proportionate military response" taken together with diplomatic measures, including consultation with coalition partners.

Image: AP