Russian Federation says cruise missiles fired from its warships in the Caspian Sea have hit Islamic State targets in Syria.
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Syrian government troops and allied militia backed by Russian air strikes launched an offensive against rebels in the Ghab Plain in western Syria on Thursday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a rebel fighting there said.
Stressing that Moscow was making a “big mistake” by escalating the Syrian conflict, Davutoglu added that it was hard to predict what might happen if Russian warplanes violated Turkish airspace again.
“NATO is ready and able to defend all allies, including Turkey against any threats”, Jens Stoltenberg told reporters before a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation defence ministers in Brussels that will be dominated by the Syria crisis, Anadolu agency reports.
Russia’s air campaign in Syria has raised fears of accidental contact between Russian warplanes and those of the US-led coalition which have been targeting IS for the past year.
The Russian ambassador “was invited” to the Turkish foreign ministry on Tuesday over the incursions, the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
United Kingdom Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said “a small number” of UK military personnel – thought to be around 100 – would be sent to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Poland.
“We now have everything in place to make the Response Force stronger, faster and more capable”. Now the Navy is joining Russia’s Air Force in the operation.
“Russia has the wrong strategy – they continue to hit targets that are not ISIL”, Carter said, referring to the Islamic State group, which controls large parts of Syria. “Nato will defend you, Nato is on the ground, Nato is ready”, Mr Stoltenberg said.
“There has to be a political solution, a transition”, Stoltenberg said.
Since the Russians began operating in Syrian airspace, USA pilots have been under orders to change their flight path if there is a Russian plane within 20 nautical miles, according to the official.
Wednesday’s attack showcased Russia’s advanced military capabilities and closer coordination with the governments of Iran and Iraq, whose airspace the missiles traversed before striking targets in Syria held by the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, an affiliate of al-Qaeda.
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The Observatory said two helicopters believed to be Russian were seen flying at low altitude in Morek.
