RUSSIA said yesterday that its forces had killed several Islamic State (Isis) leaders near the terrorist group’s stronghold of Raqqa.

 

The Russian Defence Ministry said it had received a tip-off from Syrian rebel groups last week about the meeting of Isis leaders outside Raqqa and had kept the area under surveillance for two days before bombing the site.

 

The ministry said it was co-operating with unidentified “representatives of patriotic opposition forces” who have been providing Moscow with potential targets in Syria.

 

The announcement followed a fresh burst of criticism from Washington of Moscow’s intervention in Syria.

 

On Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner seized on a report by Amnesty International — denied by Moscow — that Russian air strikes had killed hundreds of civilians.

 

He also claimed that Russia was not targeting Isis but groups the US would like to involve in coming peace talks.

 

Among them is the Jaysh al-Islam alliance, part of the Saudi-backed Islamic Front, whose leader Zahran Alloush was killed in a Christmas Day air strike reportedly carried out by the Syrian air force — but blamed by local rebels on Russia.

 

Hours after his death, Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth tweeted: “Killing Zahran Alloush is part of Assad strategy of trying to reduce choice to him or Isis.”

 

Mr Toner did not attribute blame for Mr Alloush’s death, but said Secretary of State John Kerry had raised the matter with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

 

“Attacks on those who could be part of this political process … undermine efforts to find a political resolution,” Mr Toner said.

 

Yesterday, Mr Lavrov countered that US insistence on regime change in Syria was the real barrier to peace.

 

Nonetheless, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended an olive branch to his US counterpart Barack Obama.

 

In his new year greetings to Mr Obama, Mr Putin said: “Relations between Russia and the United States are crucial to ensuring global security.”

 

Both countries would “successfully take on new challenges and threats” worldwide if they were to engage in a “constructive dialogue,” he said.