Iraq suspends northern flights due to Syria strikes

“On November 20, the Caspian Flotilla warships launched 18 cruise missiles at seven targets in the Raqqa, Idlib and Aleppo provinces of Syria”.

The strike came after Russian television showed a man scrawling “For our people!” and “For Paris!” in black pen on bombs minutes before a warplane was set to take off from the country’s air base in Syria.

But President Vladimir Putin said the current level of attacks was not enough to defeat so-called Islamic State (IS).

This Saturday, hundreds of Islamic State militants reportedly fled the Syrian city of Raqqa as Russian fighters and long-range bombers have intensified their airstrikes on the strongholds and command centers of the ISIL militants in recent days.

The Russians released video of their ships firing cruise missiles toward ISIS targets in Syria, and that video can be viewed above, on this page, courtesy of The Guardian newspaper.

Russian Federation began carrying out strikes in Syria on September 30 in support of its longstanding ally President Bashar al-Assad, and its operations were apparently the cause of the Civil Aviation Authority’s decision to suspend the flights.

It added that the missiles, fired by its fleet in the Caspian Sea, “dealt a massive blow”, with “all targets hit”.

In the wake of the bloody attacks in Paris last week – and the downing of a Russian passenger jet in Egypt’s Sinai widely blamed on ISIS – American and Russian warplanes unleashed a stepped-up wave of strikes on oil infrastructure.

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. According to reports, ISIS has claimed responsibility of the Paris terror attacks and has continued issuing terror threats to European countries and America.

A spokesman for Erbil International Airport said a change in the missiles’ route had brought them “uncomfortably close” to the airport, without providing more details.

If he backs up his word with actions, Putin’s pledge could prove to be a turning point in the military campaign against ISIS in Syria.