WASHINGTON (AA) – The U.S. and Russia have outlined certain areas in Syria to help ensure the safety of military assets of both countries, a U.S. general said Thursday.

“There are some areas we have talked to them about and that’s really where we have some of our coalition forces, particularly as you look around at the northern Syria,” Air Force Gen. Charles Brown, told reporters via a video conference from Qatar.

“It’s not specific areas, but certainly broad areas to maintain a level of safety for our forces that are on the ground,” added Brown, who commands the Air Force Central Command.

Late last year, the Pentagon said it deployed dozens of special operation forces to northeastern Syria to guide and assist anti-Daesh local forces.

Brown said Moscow “outlined some areas — some of the airfields that they’re worried about”.

“They don’t want us flying close to, and really, typically, we don’t fly there anyway,” he said.

The general’s comments contradicts U.S. officials who have denied cooperating or coordinating any operations with Russia in Syria, except for radio communications between airmen and military headquarters in the region within the scope of an agreement signed last October to ensure safe separation of fighters after the Kremlin ordered airstrikes in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Brown said the requests about the outlined areas are separate from the agreement.

“This was a decision made, a request made out of an abundance of safety for our operators on the ground,” Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told reporters following the videoconference.

“We are protecting the safety of U.S. troops in harm’s way, and taking every step we can, maintaining operational security.”

As the top commander for developing contingency plans for U.S. Central Command, Brown also addressed a possible no-fly zone in Syria — support for which was voiced last week by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Enforcing such a measure could escalate the fight, said Brown, because the anti-Daesh coalition would have to be willing to shoot down aircraft violating it which would distract from the primary mission of combating militants.

Author Kasım İleri

[Photo: Smoke rises after the war crafts belonging to the Russian Army carried out airstrikes in the Azaz town of Aleppo, Syria on February 16, 2016.

Photographer: Fatih Aktaş/AA]