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Russian jets pound Syrian provinces in fresh wave of attacks – reports Syrians launch offensive backed by Russian airstrikes, say activists
(about 3 hours later)
An intense wave of Russian air strikes hit the Syrian provinces of Hama and Idlib early on Wednesday and was followed up with ground assaults by Assad regime forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syrian troops backed by Russian airstrikes are battling rebels in two provinces, activists say, in what appears to be the first major coordinated assault since Moscow intervened in the conflict.
Russia, a top ally of the Syrian ruler, started carrying out air strikes in Syria last week saying they were aimed at Islamic State militants. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a Syrian government offensive began on four fronts on Wednesday morning in the north-western provinces of Idlib and neighbouring Hama. Its director, Rami Abdurrahman, described it as “the most intense fighting in months”.
The latest developments come exactly a week after Russia began launching airstrikes in Syria. Moscow says it is targeting Islamic State and al-Qaida’s Syrian affiliate, but at least some of the strikes over the past week appear to have hit western-backed factions.
Russia’s airstrikes hit northern parts of Hama province and nearby areas in Idlib province, targeting towns close to the main north-south highway that runs through major cities in western Syria, the Observatory said.
Ground attacks using heavy surface-to-surface missile bombardments targeted at least four insurgent positions in the area and there were heavy clashes on the ground, it added.
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But fighters on the ground and western countries have said the Russian campaign is mainly focusing on other rebel groups and is aimed at shoring up Assad rather than combating Isis. Abdurrahman, who tracks the conflict using sources in Syria, said the ground assault was being carried out by regime forces and their allies, with no immediate sign of Russian involvement on the ground.
Russia’s Wednesday strikes targeted the towns of Kafr Zita, Kafr Nabudah, al-Sayyad and the village of al-Lataminah in Hama province and the towns of Khan Shaykhun and Alhbit in Idlib, the Observatory said. Syrian state media and regional pro-government channels made no mention of new Russian strikes or the ground attacks on Wednesday.
Most of Idlib province is held by an insurgent alliance that includes al-Qaida’s Syria wing Nusra Front and other Islamist factions and that has put pressure on the Syrian military. Most of Idlib province is held by an insurgent alliance that includes al-Qaida’s Syrian wing, the Nusra Front, and other Islamist factions.
There were also heavy surface-to-surface missile bombardments in the area, said the Observatory, which tracks the conflict using sources on the ground.
The follow-up ground attacks were being carried out by “regime forces”, said the Observatory, a term it uses broadly to describe the Syrian military and allied local and foreign militia.
With Reuters