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Syria conflict: Russia intensifies air strikes | Syria conflict: Russia intensifies air strikes |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Russia is increasing the number of air strikes against Islamic State in Syria, its defence ministry has said. | Russia is increasing the number of air strikes against Islamic State in Syria, its defence ministry has said. |
It said on Saturday morning that it had hit 55 Islamic State (IS) group targets in Syria in the last 24 hours. | |
Later, US defence officials said progress had been made during talks with their Russian counterparts on avoiding accidents over Syria. | |
Syrian rebels and Western governments say Russia has mainly been hitting non-IS targets. | Syrian rebels and Western governments say Russia has mainly been hitting non-IS targets. |
The US has accused Russia of running a "fundamentally flawed" campaign in Syria that risks further escalating the conflict there. | |
The Russian military on Saturday said that the most recent air strikes - carried out in the provinces of Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Raqqa and Idlib - destroyed 29 "terrorist" training camps as well as 23 defensive positions, two command centres and an ammunition depot. | The Russian military on Saturday said that the most recent air strikes - carried out in the provinces of Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Raqqa and Idlib - destroyed 29 "terrorist" training camps as well as 23 defensive positions, two command centres and an ammunition depot. |
To explain the intensified strikes it cited "a significant increase in the number of ground targets" located by air-based and space-based reconnaissance teams across Syria. | |
While Raqqa in eastern Syria is an IS stronghold, the militants are not known to be strong in the other provinces. | |
"In the initial stage of our operation, our aircraft destroyed the principal and largest logistical hubs of the IS terrorist group," a defence ministry statement said. | |
"This has led to a significant reduction in the fighting potential of armed groups, and a reduction in their mobility and their capacity to launch offensives." | "This has led to a significant reduction in the fighting potential of armed groups, and a reduction in their mobility and their capacity to launch offensives." |
The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says Russian air strikes seem to be mostly hitting Syrian opposition forces that pose more of a threat to the Syrian government. | The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says Russian air strikes seem to be mostly hitting Syrian opposition forces that pose more of a threat to the Syrian government. |
Russia maintains that rebel fighters are running short of arms, ammunition and fuel, leading many rebels to abandon their combat positions and head for the country's east and north-east. | Russia maintains that rebel fighters are running short of arms, ammunition and fuel, leading many rebels to abandon their combat positions and head for the country's east and north-east. |
There have been concerns that there could be an accidental clash as the two countries pursue separate bombing campaigns over Syria. | There have been concerns that there could be an accidental clash as the two countries pursue separate bombing campaigns over Syria. |
The US and its Nato allies have expressed alarm at violations of Turkish air space by Russian jets last weekend. | The US and its Nato allies have expressed alarm at violations of Turkish air space by Russian jets last weekend. |
On Saturday officials at the US Department of Defense said they had held a conference call of around 90 minutes on air safety during Syria bombing campaigns. | |
"The discussions were professional and focused narrowly on the implementation of specific safety procedures," a spokeswoman said, adding that another discussion would take place in the near future. |
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