That followed accusations from the Middle Eastern state’s main opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, who condemned Russian “military aggression” and said air strikes had killed civilians who had rejected Islamic State, which is trying to establish a caliphate state in Syria and Iraq.
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A couple of weeks ago, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said in an interview that his government could ask for a Russian military aid if necessary. Speaking ahead of his talks with Putin, Hollande said airstrikes in Syria should target IS exclusively.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country’s support for Al-Assad will be limited to air strikes and will not include ground action, and that Russia’s military intervention in Syria will be “temporarily”.
Caption + In this photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Thursday, October 1, 2015 a bomb explosion is seen in Syria.
“Where those strikes occurred, those were not anti-ISIS strikes”, Lt. Gen. Robert Otto, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, told defense reporters at a breakfast roundtable.
Russian officials said the increasing military supplies aim at combating terrorism in accordance with global law. “Tartus (naval facility) and a temporary airbase of the Russian airforce in Latakia“, he said.
He added that the jets will target the positions of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and the IS militant groups in different Syrian areas.
The USA and Russian Federation agree on the need to fight the Islamic State but not about what to do with President Bashar Assad.
The statement from the Syrian presidency came after the Russian Air Force waged violent airstrikes in the countryside surrounding Homs and Hama.
“The problem is their motives are just not trustworthy, and the strikes that… we saw over the past 24 hours have not been targeted against ISIL positions”. Iran has also mobilized Shi’ite militia fighters, including Iraqis and a few Afghans, to fight alongside Syrian government forces.
Konashenkov said Russian Su-25M and Su-25 jets flew 20 sorties between Wednesday and Thursday morning, and he insisted that civilian areas were not targeted. The claim could not be independently verified.
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Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Crispin Blunt told the BBC that Western powers may have to “swallow” the fact that Russian Federation is determined to prop up Assad, emphasizing the “bottom line” in Syria is defeating IS.
