Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has expressed scepticism about a US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, saying that any coalition that excludes Syria and Russia could have "certain" agendas, media reported Monday.
Mekdad made the remarks in response to US efforts to form an international coalition against the IS terror group in Iraq and Syria but excluded Russia and Syria.
Mekdad also denied the presence of any under-the-table contact with Washington regarding the war on terror in Syria, Xinhua reported citing the state news agency SANA.
"Everything the Syrian administration does is in front of the Syrian people," he said.
Mekdad stressed that the battles Syria has been fighting over the past three years are related to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's and the Syrian people's rejection of any foreign intervention in Syria and any violation to its sovereignty.
The Syrian government welcomed the international consensus on fighting terrorism but has stressed that any uncoordinated action inside Syria without the consent of the Syrian government would be deemed as an aggression.
Syria's presidential political adviser, Buthaina Shaaban, said in recent remarks that Syria would defend itself against any US strikes on Syrian soil unless the US administration coordinates with the Syrian government.
US officials said they would not ask for Damascus's permission when they strike IS positions inside Syria.
The new US policy has stirred fears that the West was probably seeking a pretext to strike Syria and that the IS was the bogeyman which would open the doors for foreign intervention in Syria.
