Russia's air strikes 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 Syrian Observatory for Human Rights 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, the head of the Observatory Rami Abdulrahman said.
Later on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said four Russian warships in the Caspian Sea had launched 26 rockets at the Islamic State group in Syria which hit their targets.
Although Wednesday's combined assault marked a military escalation, it was not immediately clear whether there would be rapid gains in a conflict that has already dragged on more than four years.
"There is no information yet of any (government) advances on the ground, but the air strikes have hit vehicles and insurgent bases," Abdulrahman said.
A regional source familiar with the military situation in Syria said forces including Hezbollah fighters were taking part in the ground attack against four rebel-held areas.
Reuters reported last week that allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including Iranians, were preparing a ground attack in Syria, aimed at recapturing territory lost by the government to rebels in rapid advances this year.
Abdulrahman, 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.
Syrian state media and regional pro-government channels made no mention of new Russian strikes or the ground attacks on Wednesday.
Russia, a top ally of Assad, started air strikes in Syria a week ago, saying they were targeting hardline Islamic State militants.
But fighters on the ground and Western countries have said the Russian campaign is mainly focusing on other rebel groups that have seized government-held areas in the west, and is aimed at shoring up Assad rather than combating hardliners.
Russia's strikes on Wednesday targeted the towns of Kafr Zita, Kafr Nabudah, al-Sayyad and the village of al-Latamneh in Hama province and the towns of Khan Shaykhun and Alhbit in Idlib, the Observatory said.
Most of Idlib province is held by an insurgent alliance that includes al Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front and other Islamist factions.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
france24.com
7/10/15
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Russia should not interfere in US efforts to destroy ISIS (White House) ...
ReplyDeleteAmid Russia's escalating military activities in Syria, the White House has warned it not to interfere in the US-led international efforts to destroy the Islamic State in the strife-torn region.
"The President has made quite clear that Russia should not be interfering with the 65-member international coalition that is seeking to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS. We've made that quite clear," White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Tuesday.
There has been at least one preliminary conversation between the US and Russian military officials to try to de-conflict those military activities, he said.
He said many of the Russian military airstrikes have been carried out in areas where there are fewer or if any ISIS forces, and they're carrying out those military activities despite the fact that they say that they're focused on ISIS.
"Russians acknowledge that the situation will only be resolved when there's a political transition inside of Syria, and yet, their actions are geared specifically at propping up a leader that has lost legitimacy to lead that country for a variety of reasons," Earnest said..............PTI - timesofindia.indiatimes.com 7/10/15