Boris Zilberman, an expert on Russia and the Middle East at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that the video points to continued military cooperation between Russia and Iran and also suggests that Russia may be launching cruise missiles into Syria from Iranian airspace. The long-range missiles were launched from Caspian Sea warships.
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The resolution, which does not provide a legal basis for military action, urges those countries who can to “take all necessary measures, in compliance with worldwide law… on the territory under the control of ISIL…in Syria and Iraq”. At least eight people were killed in around 50 air raids in the oil-rich Deir Ezzor province.
Col Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for US Central Command, said the Russian air strikes in recent days targeted more IS areas, including the group’s oil infrastructure.
Russian Federation began strikes in Syria in September at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
On Friday, a pair of Russian Tu-160 Blackjack bombers, which can fly thousands of miles in a single raid, showed what they can do.
Iraq’s civil aviation authority said in a statement that flight suspensions were made “to protect travelers and because of the crossing of cruise missiles and bombers in the northern part of Iraq launched from the Caspian Sea”.
Shaaban said her government’s allies Russian Federation and Iran were working in the best interests of the Syrian people. He expressed hope that the next phases would “produce the expected result”, but did not clarify what those phases would be.
“Of course, the army has been fighting them, and it won many battles, but the army can not exist everywhere on the Syrian ground”, he added.
The focus on Islamic State has intensified since a Russian airliner was brought down by a bomb over Egypt’s Sinai peninsula with the loss of over 200 lives.
The figure supplied on Friday by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is more than double the overall toll it gave in its last report on the Russian campaign three weeks ago. “All 18 Kalibr missiles have been successfully fired”.
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According to Israel’s Walla news website, citing the Russian media, Putin told his military leaders via conference call that while “objectives in Syria are being achieved well, it is not enough to rid the country of possible terrorist attacks”.
