Syria: Nothing changed by anti-ISIL strikes

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the US-led airstrikes against the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group have failed to change anything on the ground in the country.
"To say that the (anti-ISIL) coalition’s airstrikes are helping us is incorrect," he said in an interview given to Paris Match magazine to be published on Thursday, press tv reported.
"Had these strikes been serious and effective, I would say they would be helpful for sure, but it’s we who are battling against ISIS (ISIL) on the ground," Assad complained.
The ISIL terrorists control some parts of Syria and Iraq. They are engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control.
Since late September, the US and its allies have been conducting airstrikes against the ISIL inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate.
Washington has also been carrying out similar air raids against ISIL positions in Iraq since August. However, the raids have so far failed to dislodge the ISIL.
The Syrian head of state noted "and we haven’t sensed any change, especially since Turkey is still providing direct support to ISIS (ISIL) in those areas".
Besides Turkey, a few other countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, that have joined the US-led coalition have been supporting the militant groups fighting the Syrian government forces.