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| Syria conflict: Russia defends air strikes | Syria conflict: Russia defends air strikes |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has defended his country's air strikes in Syria, saying they were targeting the same "terrorist" groups as the US-led coalition. | Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has defended his country's air strikes in Syria, saying they were targeting the same "terrorist" groups as the US-led coalition. |
| He rejected suggestions that Russian action was to bolster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. | He rejected suggestions that Russian action was to bolster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. |
| He also said Russia did not consider the opposition Free Syrian Army to be a terrorist group. | |
| Russian jets carried out a second day of air strikes in Syria on Thursday. | Russian jets carried out a second day of air strikes in Syria on Thursday. |
| The Kremlin says it is acting on the request of the Syrian government to help combat Islamic State (IS) militants - which has seized parts of Syria and Iraq - and other designated terrorist groups. | |
| But the US and its allies fear the strikes have mainly targeted opponents of Russia's ally, Mr Assad. | But the US and its allies fear the strikes have mainly targeted opponents of Russia's ally, Mr Assad. |
| Mr Lavrov, speaking at the UN in New York, said Russia would fight IS and other terrorist groups, including the al-Nusra Front - an al-Qaeda affiliate. | |
| He said this position was the same as the US-led coalition which has been carrying out air strikes in Iraq and Syria for several months. | He said this position was the same as the US-led coalition which has been carrying out air strikes in Iraq and Syria for several months. |
| "We are not supporting anyone against their own people. We fight terrorism," he said. | |
| "As far as I understand it, the [US-led] coalition announced Isil (IS) and other associated groups as the enemy. And the coalition does the same as Russia does." | |
| Mr Lavrov said the sites being attacked were selected "in co-ordination with the Syrian army". | |
| On the Free Syrian Army he added: "We believe that the Free Syrian Army should be part of the political process like some other armed groups on the ground composed of Syrian patriotic opposition individuals." | |
| Analysis by Jonathan Marcus, BBC diplomatic correspondent | |
| The Syrian government's army may not be what it was, but in local terms it is still a force to be reckoned with. | |
| Bolstered with new Russian equipment and now backed by Russian air power, it could hold its own against most of the opposition forces. | |
| Russia does not have the elaborate intelligence gathering panoply of the US. But much of its targeting will be based upon tactical intelligence obtained from Syrian units on the ground. | |
| This then is the key to Russia's strategy. It is to consolidate the Assad regime, to relieve the pressure points and to ensure that its ally remains a factor in any future diplomatic settlement. | |
| To this end - and there are strong indications of this even from Russia's initial air strikes - Moscow will hit any opponents of the Syrian regime where necessary. | |
| What can Russia's air force do? | |
| Mr Lavrov also said there were no plans to expand air strikes to Iraq. | |
| "We were not invited; we were not asked. And we are polite people, as you know. We don't come if not invited," he said. | |
| Russian action in Syria has raised fears of accidental conflict with the US-led campaign and Mr Lavrov said the first talks between Russia and the US would happen "very, very soon". | |
| The Syrian civil war began with an uprising against the government but has since splintered into various rebel groups fighting President Assad's forces and also each other. | |
| According to reports from activists and other sources, Russia's latest air strikes hit sites in the north-west held by a rebel alliance called the Army of Conquest, as well as areas in Homs and Hama provinces. | |
| The strategic town of Jisr al-Shughour was hit, as well as 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 some of Wednesday's attacks. | |
| Russia said it had hit 12 IS positions in the past 24 hours, although that could not be independently verified. |