Tri-Service

Russia Releases Footage Of Devastating Airstrikes "Targeting IS"

Russia has released footage of airstrikes carried out by its forces in Syria, which it claims were targeting Islamic State.

It came on the same day the country's leader requested and got permission from his parliament to use its forces abroad, before sanctioning airstrikes in Syria.

Moscow says it hit at least eight targets on Wednesday, with results including the complete destruction of a coordination center in the mountains.

State-funded news outlet RT reported that 20 combat flights were carried out by Russian forces in total on Wednesday. Picture: Alex Beltyukov

The Kremlin said targets included military equipment, communication centers, and arms and fuel depots belonging to IS terrorists, and added that civilian objects were avoided in the operation.

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Western governments, however, have expressed concern that the Russian airstrikes, in support of the beleaguered regime of Bashar al-Assad, are targeting moderate Syrian opposition groups.

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said the Russian Air Force appeared to have hit areas where IS is not active, while French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said:

"Curiously, they didn't hit Islamic State. I will let you draw a certain number of conclusions yourselves."

Prime Minister David Cameron said it would be a "retrograde step" if the Russians hit moderate opposition forces like the Western-backed Free Syrian Army.

His comments echoed US Secretary of State John Kerry who said Washington would have "grave concerns" if the Russians hit areas where IS - also referred to as Isil - or Al-Qaeda affiliated groups were not operating.

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"Strikes of that kind would question Russia's real intentions fighting Isil or protecting the Assad regime," he said.

Announcing the launch of airstrikes, Mr Putin, who has been building up Russia's military presence in Syria in recent weeks, said they had attacked and destroyed eight IS positions, and insisted Russia's role in the conflict would be limited. He said:

"We certainly are not going to plunge head-on into this conflict. First, we will be supporting the Syrian Army purely in its legitimate fight with terrorist groups. Second, this will be air support without any participation in the ground operations."

However, a senior US official said the strikes had taken place in the western part of Syria beyond the city of Homs, where there was no IS presence, and appeared to be aimed at other rebel groups.

Tensions between Washington and Moscow were further underlined when the State Department disclosed that the only notification they received from the Russians had come from an official in Baghdad who informed US Embassy staff strikes would begin shortly.