Russia calls Security Council meeting after Syrian troops bombed

Russia called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Saturday demanding a formal explanation after a US-led coalition airstrike hit Syrian army positions, killing at least 62 regime soldiers.

"We demand Washington's full and detailed explanation, and that must be made before the UN Security Council," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in Moscow.

Russia is "very concerned" by the strikes that "directly targeted the Syrian army, which has been consistently fighting the Islamic State group's forces", she added.

The coalition airstrike hit an army position in the country's east, near the IS-controlled town of Deir Az-Zour, a Russian army statement said.

"These strikes endanger everything that has been done so far by the international community" to reach peace in Syria, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman said.

Zakharova was quoted by the state news agency Tass as saying that "after today's attack on the Syrian army, we come to the terrible conclusion that the White House is defending the Islamic State."

The allegations come as Moscow and Washington are already at loggerheads over a five-day-old Syrian cease-fire, with each accusing the other of failing to fully implement it.

The US-led coalition has been carrying out raids against IS for two years in both Syria and Iraq.

Agencies contributed to this report.