Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said the Russian air force has only postponed its operation against al-Nusra Front (Qaeda branch in the Levant), but did not give it up ultimately.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said the Russian air force has only postponed its operation against al-Nusra Front (Qaeda branch in the Levant), but did not give it up ultimately.

“In the interests of advancing the process towards stabilization, certain actions of Russia’s Aerospace Forces on suppressing gunmen of al-Nusra were somehow delayed but we have not rejected this prospect, we have not given it up,” Ryabkov said in a speech addressing the Russian Federation Council on Friday.

He added, “This was done upon mutual agreement of the military as part of working contacts held on an everyday basis in Geneva and the working group and directly via channels between the reconciliation center in Hmeimim and the US representatives.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that it has postponed delivering airstrikes on the positions of armed groups in Syria to allow a number of them to complete their separation from al-Nusra.