Washington (CNN) Before a Russian mercenary attack on US and allied forces in Syria earlier this month, the Russian oligarch believed to control the mercenaries -- a man who the US special counsel indicted last week -- was "in close touch" with Russian and Syrian officials, The Washington Post reported Thursday evening. The Post, citing US intelligence reports, said intercepted communications showed the oligarch, Yevgeny Prigozhin, told a Syrian official he had "secured permission" from a Russian minister for a "fast and strong" initiative. US intelligence agencies declined to comment to the Post, and a senior administration official told the newspaper that the episode was "worrisome" and said it was striking how the Russians quickly distanced themselves from the attack. The Russian press has dubbed Prigozhin the "chef" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Prigozhin was charged as part of the US investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. The deadly February 7 incident in the war-torn nation has drawn considerable attention in international media, and it highlighted the continued level of violence in Syria as the conflict there rages on and global powers operate in support of competing factions.

Source: CNN February 23, 2018 02:15 UTC