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| Russia says warships in Caspian Sea targeting Isis in Syria | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Four Russian warships in the Caspian Sea have launched 26 rockets at Islamic State in Syria, Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, told president Vladimir Putin during a televised meeting. | |
| The claim, which could not be immediately confirmed, came after a Syrian official and activists said Syrian troops backed by Russian airstrikes battled rebels in two provinces in what appeared to be the first major coordinated assault since Moscow intervened in the conflict. | |
| Shoigu said the operation destroyed all the targets and that no strikes were lauched upon civilian areas. | |
| 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”. A Syrian official later confirmed the new offensive. | 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”. A Syrian official later confirmed the new offensive. |
| The latest developments come exactly a week after Russia began launching airstrikes in Syria. Moscow says it is targeting Isis 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Related: Turkey 'cannot endure' Russian violation of airspace, president says | Related: Turkey 'cannot endure' Russian violation of airspace, president says |
| 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. | 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. |
| Most of Idlib province is held by an insurgent alliance that includes al-Qaida’s Syrian wing, the Nusra Front, and other Islamist factions. | Most of Idlib province is held by an insurgent alliance that includes al-Qaida’s Syrian wing, the Nusra Front, and other Islamist factions. |
| The head of the Iraqi parliament’s defence and security committee said Iraq may request Russian airstrikes against Isis on its soil soon and wants Moscow to have a bigger role than the US in the war against the group. | |
| “We might be forced to ask Russia to launch air strikes in Iraq soon. I think the upcoming few days or weeks Iraq will be forced to ask Russia to launch airstrikes and that depends on their success in Syria,” Hakim al-Zamili told Reuters. | |
| Iraq’s government and powerful Iranian-backed Shia militias question the United States’ resolve in fighting Isis, which controls a third of the country, saying US-led coalition air strikes are ineffective. |