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Kremlin says its air strikes in Syria target

Fabius said any air strikes must target IS and other “terrorist groups, not civilians or the moderate opposition“.

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The statement was carried by the official IRNA news agency.

The ministry also published a video of the air strikes which appeared to show three targets being hit.

According to Konashenkov, Wednesday’s airstrikes – which, he said, had been ordered directly by Russian President Vladimir Putin – had targeted Daesh munitions depots, vehicles and communications centers.

Russian Federation on Thursday insisted its warplanes in Syria were hitting at the same terrorists targeted by the United States and contradicted American criticism that its military failed to coordinate the airstrikes, describing the allegations as a “war of disinformation”.

But United States defence secretary Ash Carter said the Russians appeared to have hit areas where IS is not active.

The Russian claims have been contradicted by U.S. officials, who said they feared the aircraft were targeting rebel positions fighting president Bashar al-Assad rather than the extreme Islamic group.

The attacks raise the risky prospect of Washington and Moscow running air strikes at the same in the same region, without coordination.

Secretary of State John Kerry said the us would have “grave concerns should Russian Federation strike” areas where ISIS wasn’t operating.

Using a common acronym for Islamic State, he added: “As for those countries that have claimed recently to join in the fight against ISIS terrorism, they can’t do that at the same time as they support the terrorism of the Syrian regime…”

So far aircraft from nine coalition nations, including Australia, have bombed IS targets inside Syria in carefully coordinated missions.

Putin also said he expects Assad to sit down and talk with the Syrian opposition about a political settlement.

More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed and a million injured in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war.

But its initial attacks were on pockets of land held by other rebel groups and surrounded by territory loyal to President Bashar Assad – miles away from any Islamic State stronghold. “And, it is one thing obviously to be targeting ISIL, we’re concerned obviously if that is not what is happening”, said Kerry.

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The United States official who spoke on condition of anonymity said there were no conflicts with the Russian strikes.

Russia carries out air strikes on ISIL positions in Syria