Russia’s first Syria air strike ‘kills 36 civilians’

At the White House, presidential spokesman Josh Earnest also expressed concern over the Russia’s actions. And the reason they’re trying to prop him up is because this is essentially the client state that they’ve had in the Middle East for quite a few time now, and they are eager to try to preserve that toehold in the region. It has called on USA and coalition aircraft not to fly over Syria.

A few towns that were hit today have large opposition contingents – including Talbisah, which Radio Free Europe calls “a stronghold of anti-Assad militants and the Free Syrian Army”.

A U.S.-backed Syrian rebel group known as Tajamu Alezzah, wrote scornfully on Twitter Wednesday that “eradicating terrorism appears to begin with attacks” on its locations in the central city of Latamna in the province of Hama.

A French diplomatic source said the strikes, which seemed to have been carried out near Homs, an area crucial to Assad’s control of western Syria.

Hours after Russian launched its first air strikes on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a Security Council meeting that Moscow would liaise with the US-led coalition of Western allies and regional states that has been flying missions for a year.

“If (militants) succeed in Syria, they will return to their home country, and they will come to Russian Federation, too”, Putin said in a televised speech at a government session. A senior Pentagon official has stated that despite Russia’s request, the American forces still conducted normal strike operations in Syria on Wednesday.

Kerry reiterated that Assad should no longer rule the war-torn country and that the U.S.’s fight against IS should not be confused with support for his regime.

“A definitive and long-term solution in Syria is only possible on the basis of political reform and on the basis of dialogue between normal forces in the country”, Putin told reporters in Moscow.

Carter did not confirm the extent of the Department of Defense’s specific knowledge, but he did acknowledge that the USA had been “observing Russian activities”.

The developments greatly increase the chances of a mix-up between Russian forces boosting the regime of embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the US-led coalition bombing ISIS-held targets in Syria on a daily basis.

Israeli officials met with their Russian counterparts in Moscow last week to discuss the situation in Syria.

Putin and other officials have said Russian Federation was providing weapons and training to Assad’s army to help it combat IS.