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Russia steps us airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria
October 9, 2015, 1:51 pm

Russia carried out record 67 sorties against ISIL targets in the past 24 hours, claimed the Defense Ministry [Image: Russian Defense Ministry]

Russia carried out record 67 sorties against ISIL targets in the past 24 hours, claimed the Defense Ministry on Friday [Image: Russian Defense Ministry]

Moscow has stepped up air strikes against Islamic State targets across Syria with Russian jets carrying out 67 sorties against IS targets in the past twenty four hours, Russian Air Force chief Lieutenant General Igor Makushev was quoted by state media on Friday.

“In the past 24 hours, the Russian combat aircraft carried out 67 missions. The Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-24SM planes destroyed 60 terrorist targets,” Makushev told reporters in Moscow.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday its planes had struck the headquarters of the Liwa al-Haqq militant group in Syria, killing 200 insurgents, including two Islamic State field commanders, state news agency Sputnik reported.

In separate attacks in the Aleppo region, the ministry said its planes had killed a further 100 insurgents.

Since September 30th, Russian air forces have carried out about 140 strikes against terrorist positions, including command centers, training camps and ammunition depots, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed. Russian warships in the Caspian Sea fired 26 cruise missiles on ISIL targets on Wednesday.

The United States, France and Britain say the Russian air strikes are aimed at propping up Assad after recent rebel advances. “They are backing the butcher Assad, which is a terrible mistake, for them and the world,” British Prime Minister David Cameron said.

A Reuters report quoted Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front stating that fighters in the region around Talbiseh – a pocket of insurgent-controlled land – were forming a joint military “operations room” to coordinate operations.

A separate statement in the name of dozens of Free Syrian Army officers said they would take part in the unified command “to confront the Russian and Iranian occupation”.

The United States is dropping a $500 million Pentagon program to train Syrian rebels fighting the administration of President Bashar al-Assad, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing unidentified Obama administration officials.

The newspaper said Pentagon officials were expected to announce the end of the program on Friday.

 

TBP and Agencies