As Russian Federation escalates, United States rules out military cooperation in Syria

“I think in the upcoming few days or weeks Iraq will be forced to ask Russian Federation to launch airstrikes and that depends on their success in Syria”, said Hakim al-Zamili on Wednseday, Russian Federation Today reported.

According to reports by the BBC website, Syrian ground troops have launched an offensive under Russian air cover, Syrian officials have confirmed.

“Russia launched cruise missiles as part of Putin’s propaganda campaign to show Russian Federation as a modern military force able to strike targets from long distances”, said a US intelligence official, who requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak on the record.

Another four Islamic State fighters were killed in the strikes Tuesday near Raqqa, the eastern city which has been the group’s stronghold in Syria for the last two years. It means Tehran and Moscow had been discussing ways to prop up Assad by force even as Western officials were describing what they believed was new flexibility in Moscow’s stance on his future.

Carter said he is concerned about the Syrian ground offensive that began Wednesday backed by Russian airpower.

Although the Islamic State has no presence in the areas hit by airstrikes Wednesday, the Nusra Front is active in central and northern parts of the country – as are the Western-backed rebels.

The targets were about 930 miles, or about 1,500 kilometers, from the Russian flotilla of four warships that launched the missiles, Mr. Shoigu said. Shoigu also said Russian Federation has carried out 112 airstrikes on IS positions since September 30.

Abadi was incensed by tough accusations by U.S. officials that Iraqi government troops lacked the will to fight the militants, government sources said.

He said the USA will conduct basic, technical talks with Russian Federation about efforts to ensure that flights over Syria are conducted safely and, “That’s it”.

The Russian defence ministry said its planes had struck 12 Islamic State targets in Syria on Tuesday, saying the militants had begun to move their weapons and armoured vehicles into residential areas to try to protect them.

“Despite what the Russians say, we have not agreed to cooperate with Russia, so long as they continue to pursue mistaken strategy and hit these targets”, Carter told reporters during a news conference in Rome with Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti.

IS has taken advantage of the chaos to seize territory across Syria and Iraq, which it rules under its own brutal interpretation of Islamic law, and has recruited thousands of foreign jihadists to its cause. Rebels have been advancing there in the past months, but the Islamic State group is not present in the areas where the fighting is taking place.

In Turkey, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu renewed criticism of Russia’s airstrikes in Syria, insisting they were mainly targeting the moderate Syrian opposition and therefore helping strengthen IS. He urged Moscow to respect Turkey’s airspace, saying the country would not “make any concessions” on its border security.

Davis says this highlights the Pentagon’s interest in talking further to Russian officials about ways to avoid accidents and potential unintended conflict in the sky over Syria.

Carter had called on Russian leaders to discuss Moscow’s military activities in Syria, reflecting urgent concerns about Russian aircraft violating Turkish airspace.