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| Syria conflict: Russia launches fresh strikes | Syria conflict: Russia launches fresh strikes |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Russia has launched a series of air strikes in Syria for a second day. | |
| The strikes reportedly targeted sites in the north-west held by the Army of Conquest rebel alliance, as well as areas in Homs and Hama provinces. | |
| Russia said it struck 12 Islamic State (IS) positions in 24 hours, destroying a command centre and two arms depots. | |
| Russia carried out about 20 missions on Wednesday. The US fears they targeted non-IS opponents of Russia's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. | Russia carried out about 20 missions on Wednesday. The US fears they targeted non-IS opponents of Russia's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. |
| Thursday's strikes reportedly hit areas near the strategic town of Jisr al-Shughour, as well areas in Idlib province and Hama province further south, according to Lebanon's al-Mayadeen TV. | Thursday's strikes reportedly hit areas near the strategic town of Jisr al-Shughour, as well areas in Idlib province and Hama province further south, according to Lebanon's al-Mayadeen TV. |
| Rebel activists also reported strikes at Ghantu in Homs province, close to where some of Wednesday's strikes hit. | Rebel activists also reported strikes at Ghantu in Homs province, close to where some of Wednesday's strikes hit. |
| The Army of Conquest (Jaysh al-Fatah) alliance had made advances in the north-west in recent months, taking Idlib from pro-government forces. | The Army of Conquest (Jaysh al-Fatah) alliance had made advances in the north-west in recent months, taking Idlib from pro-government forces. |
| The alliance includes the al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, and the hardline Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham, as well as several more moderate Islamist groups. | The alliance includes the al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, and the hardline Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham, as well as several more moderate Islamist groups. |
| All are opposed to IS and have fought bloody battles with the jihadist group. | All are opposed to IS and have fought bloody battles with the jihadist group. |
| The US, which is targeting IS with air strikes in both Syria and Iraq, says it was informed about Russia's air strikes only an hour before they began on Wednesday. | |
| Nato said there had been little co-ordination by Russia with US-led forces. | |
| The French defence minister said the strikes had not targeted IS, while US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said Russia's approach was "tantamount to pouring gasoline on the fire" and "doomed to fail" because of the breadth of Syrian opposition to Mr Assad. | |
| But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his government stood by its targets. | |
| "The rumours that the target of these air strikes was not IS positions are unfounded," he said. "Talk began that civilians were hurt by air strikes. We have no such data." | |
| Mr Lavrov said there was a need to "establish channels of communication to avoid any unintended incidents". His US counterpart, John Kerry, said talks will be held "as soon as possible," maybe as early as Thursday. | |
| Syria's civil war | |
| What's the human cost? | |
| More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed and a million injured in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war. | |
| And the survivors? | |
| More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes, four million of them abroad, as forces loyal to President Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from IS and other groups. Growing numbers of refugees are going to Europe. | |
| How has the world reacted? | |
| Regional and world powers have also been drawn into the conflict. Iran and Russia, along with Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, are propping up the Alawite-led government. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are backing the Sunni-dominated opposition, along with the US, UK and France. | |
| The battle for Syria and Iraq in maps | |
| Syria's civil war explained | |
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