Russia rejects US concern about IS seizing arms in Syria

MOSCOW – The Russian military has scoffed at a top U.S. general’s suggestion that military equipment seized by the Islamic State group in the Syrian city of Palmyra could pose a threat to the U.S.-led coalition.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Thursday that an “insignificant number” of firearms and a few broken pieces of military hardware left in Palmyra “pose no threat to the international coalition.”

U.S. Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend had said that IS got hold of weapons, possibly including air defence equipment, when they retook Palmyra from Syrian government troops earlier this week.

Konashenkov, meanwhile, pointed at the U.S. Congress’ decision allowing the delivery of portable air defence missiles to the Syrian rebels, saying they could pose a real threat to the U.S.-led coalition.