Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed Tuesday that it had deployed Tu-22M3 bombers and Su-34 strike fighters in Iran and these have already carried out airstrikes against terrorists in Syria.
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The Russian Defense Ministry released a video showing a Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bomber dropping bombs in strikes described as “terrorist objects in Syria”.
Russian warplanes took off on Tuesday from a base in Iran to target Islamic State fighters and other militants in Syria, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.
The planes returned to the base after the bombings, it said.
Iranian officials confirmed that the country has offered Russian Federation use of military infrastructure for its air campaign in Syria on Tuesday.
Initially, the reports from Russian Federation did not specify how many aircraft were sent to Iran and official conformation about the reports was not granted.
The Nusra Front has rebranded itself and now goes by the name of Fath al-Sham, an apparent attempt to evade Russian and US-led air strikes targeting militants.
Shoigui’s statement arrives on the heels of reports by the Syrian government and activists that the Syrian government has succeeded in repelling a rebel assault southwest of Aleppo.
Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, has been the center of fighting over the past months.
The Islamic State group meanwhile claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that struck a bus transporting rebels through a border crossing between Syria’s opposition-held Idlib province and Turkey late Sunday, killing more than 30 fighters. The city has been contested since 2012.
A US official said, however, that discussions with the Russians are still ongoing and no agreement is close. But opposition activists and militant websites said Monday that the insurgents retreated following a massive government counterattack. It has been upgraded several times, most recently in 2014.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Monday to discuss the Syrian conflict, Iranian state-run media including the Mehr news agency reported. “People live in a state of fear”, the ICRC chief said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
The aid group urged combatants to agree to regular humanitarian pauses to restore essential services and deliver relief.
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There was “compelling evidence” that Russian Federation was supporting Syrian government planes in those attacks, the New York-based watchdog said.
