Syria crisis: Massive Russian air strikes on ‘IS targets’

Now Russian Federation has also fired cruise missiles from warships in the Caspian Sea at targets across Syria.

He added that an estimated 25,000 foreign fighters were believed to be fighting for Daesh in Syria and Iraq.

Russian defense ministry says its forces are undertaking a campaign of retribution..

Moscow has stepped up its strikes in Syria with long-distance bombers after confirming for the first time on Tuesday that a bomb downed a Russian airliner in Egypt last month, killing all 224 people on board.

Over the past four days, Russian air forces have conducted 522 sorties, deploying more than 100 cruise missiles and 1,400 tons of bombs of various types, the minister stated.

A video shows the servicemen scrawling “For Paris” (За Париж) and “For our people” (За наших) on the sides of the FAB-250-M62 high explosive bombs hanging from the ports of the Russian Su-34 attack jet before it starts along the runway for takeoff, according to Russia Today.

Shoigu said the strikes this week inflicted significant casualties on IS, including more than 600 militants killed in just one strike in the province of Deir el-Zour.

He said earlier that Russian warplanes were focusing their strikes on the IS’ oil production and refining facilities as well as oil trucks.

He also added that the Russian military has begun cooperating with its French counterparts, as ordered by President Putin.

“We have a lot of evidence that Russian airstrikes are effective”, Syrian Brigadier General Ali Maihub told Interfax. Putin has ruled out Russian ground action in Syria, a position reaffirmed by his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.

The Britain-based Observatory said it had documented at least 50 strikes in different parts of the oil-rich province, large parts of which are controlled by the Islamic State group.

The United States has said that it does not coordinate targets with Russian Federation.