Syria conflict: Russia intensifies air strikes

Reuters

Russia insists it is targeting Islamic State positions but there are concerns that it is bombing other rebels

Russia is increasing the number of air strikes against Islamic State in Syria, its defence ministry has said.

It cited "a significant increase in the number of ground targets" located by air-based and space-based reconnaissance teams across Syria.

Russia says it has hit 55 Islamic State (IS) group targets in Syria in 24 hours up until Saturday.

Syrian rebels and Western governments say Russia has mainly been hitting non-IS targets.

The US has accused Russia of running "fundamentally flawed" operations in Syria that would "inflame the civil war and therefore extremism".

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Reuters

The Russian defence ministry has released a stream of footage which show jets carrying out the attacks

AP

The Syrian army has tried to advance on the ground as a result of the Russian air strikes

The Russian military on Saturday said that the most recent air strikes - carried out in the provinces of Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Raqqa and Idlib - destroyed 29 "terrorist" training camps as well as 23 defensive positions, two command centres and an ammunition depot.

While Raqqa in eastern Syria is an IS stronghold, the militants are not thought to be strong in the other provinces.

"In the initial stage of our operation, our aircraft destroyed the principal and largest logistical hubs of the IS terrorist group," the defence ministry statement said.

"This has led to a significant reduction in the fighting potential of armed groups, and a reduction in their mobility and their capacity to launch offensives."

The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says Russian air strikes seem to be mostly hitting Syrian opposition forces that pose more of a threat to the Syrian government.

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Russia maintains that rebel fighters are running short of arms, ammunition and fuel, leading many rebels to abandon their combat positions and head for the country's east and north-east.

Earlier, Moscow agreed to resume talks with the US on air safety during Syria bombing campaigns.

There have been concerns that there could be an accidental clash as the two countries pursue separate bombing campaigns over Syria.

The US and its Nato allies have expressed alarm at violations of Turkish air space by Russian jets last weekend.

Source http://goo.gl/sUY4Ek