Russia concerned over Syrian opposition connection with terrorists

Russia was concerned over the fact that the armed opposition groups in Syria were joining hands with terrorist-related movements, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.In a commentary published on the ministry's website, official Maria Zakharova said leader of the Jabhat al-Nusra movement had publicly claimed its loyalty to al-Qaeda.Russia was also alarmed by the fact that some armed opposition forces, though claiming their ideological differences with Jabhat al-Nusra, were fighting against the Syrian government as "brothers in arms" with international terrorists, said the official.Meanwhile, Russia was "seriously concerned" about al-Qaeda and international terrorists' plan to turn Syria into the "main springboard" in the Middle East, with close coordination between terrorists in Syria and Iraq becoming "apparent," she added.Russia regretted that some of its partners adopted double standards as some terrorist attacks were not adequately evaluated, she said, adding Moscow condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.