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 Syria is still watching all developments with caution, Ali Haidar,
minister for national reconciliation, told Reuters on Wednesday
after U.S. warplanes pounded Islamic State positions in a second day
of attacks.
"As for the raids in Syria, I say that what has happened so far is
proceeding in the right direction in terms of informing the Syrian
government and by not targeting Syrian military installations and
not targeting civilians," he said.
"Notification of the Syrian government happened," he said.
"Confirmation that they would not target Syrian military
installations, and confirmation they would not target civilians
happened."
The United States said on Tuesday that Washington's envoy to the
United Nations had told her Syrian counterpart air strikes would
take place, but it has ruled out coordinating with Assad, whom
Washington sees as part of the problem.
The Syrian foreign minister said last month that Damascus was ready
to cooperate in any international effort to fight Islamic State.
Despite welcoming the strikes, Haidar said fighting militants would
take more than such military action.
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"The war on terror does not only come through air strikes, which are
not the only means to fight terrorism," he said, adding that
military action could go on for some time.
The Syrian government has described all insurgent groups in Syria as
"terrorists", from the Western-backed rebel opposition to Islamic
State fighters who have seized tracts of territory in the country
and in neighboring Iraq.
(Reporting by Kinda Makieh, editing by John Stonestreet)
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