Moscow, June 4 (RHC)-- The United States has asked Russia to stop conducting airstrikes against the al-Nusra Front terrorists in Syria.  According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, fear of hitting the U.S.-backed militants fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government prompted American officials to make the request.

The foreign minister noted that Russia and the U.S. were closely discussing ways to secure a truce in Syria, adding that fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and al-Nusra should be a top priority.

Despite a U.S.-Russia mediated “cessation of hostilities” in Syria that began on February 27, fighting has continued to rage in the conflict-ridden parts of the country, particularly around the city of Aleppo.

The Syrian government accepted the truce on condition that military efforts against Daesh and al-Nusra, as well as other UN-designated terror groups which are not included in the agreement.  Russia first set a deadline for the U.S.-backed militants to pull out from areas occupied by al-Nusra, but then agreed to give them more time to withdraw.