Obama: Russian Federation is entering a ‘quagmire’ in Syria

Moscow carried out a third day of air strikes Friday in Syria, saying it targeted Islamic State jihadists, as Russian President Vladimir Putin faced increased global criticism over his military campaign.

Russia’s defence ministry said Su-34 planes hit “an IS training camp near the village of Maadan Jadid”, 70 kilometres east of Raqa city, and “a camouflaged command post at Kasrat Faraj, southwest of Raqa”.

They said: “We express our deep concern with regard to the Russian military build-up in Syria and especially the attacks by the Russian Air Force on Hama, Homs and Idlib which led to civilian casualties and did not target Daesh”.

Russian Federation supports Assad, while France and other Western countries, which want him out, have been focusing their attacks on ISIS and backing the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and other so-called moderate groups.

US President Barack Obama warned yesterday that Russia’s military engagement in Syria in support of strongman Bashar Al Assad is a “recipe for disaster”, though Washington could still work with Moscow on reducing tensions.

– Russian air strikes in Syria will last for three to four months and will intensify, says Alexei Pushkov, head of the foreign affairs committee of Russia’s lower house of parliament.

Cameron’s strong remarks came as Russia’s defense ministry said its forces had hit more targets in Syria over the past 24 hours.

It said there were 14 new missions Friday, including targets in Idlib and Hama provinces.

“Mr. Putin had to go into Syria not out of strength but out of weakness, because his client, Mr. Assad, was crumbling”, the president said.

Erdogan said Turkey had “received information” that 65 people had been killed in Russia’s air strikes on Syria, without specifying further on how the toll was calculated.

In an interview with the Sun newspaper, British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the vast majority of Russian air strikes were not aimed at the militant group at all.

Russia’s intervention has also raised fears of a proxy war between it and Western nations in the global coalition, after it reportedly bombed rebels armed and trained by the US.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who also attended the meeting with Putin, added that the leaders “said very clearly that Daesh was the enemy that we needed to fight”.

Major positions of Jaish al-Fateh have also been evacuated as a result of the intensive strikes, the TV said.