North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Concerned Over Russian Cruise Missile Strikes Against Targets in Syria

Putin said it was too early to talk about the results of Russia’s operations in Syria and ordered Shoigu to continue cooperation with the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq on Syria. But perhaps a clearer indication of Moscow’s interests in rebel areas is found in one of its first targets last week – Kafranbel.

Picture this: a group of solemn-faced Syrians holding a banner with a quip about the latest world headline written in boxy scroll.

The air campaign in Syria has caught Washington and its allies on the back foot and alarmed Syria’s northern neighbour Turkey, which says its airspace has been repeatedly violated by Russian jets. Ankara said it was ready to meet with Russian military authorities to listen to what sort of measures would be taken to prevent further violations, the ministry said.

The UK-based monitoring group said rebel positions had been bombarded with surface-to-surface missiles, triggering “the most intense fighting in months”. While Moscow says it aims to destroy the Islamic State group, which is a threat to the regime of Russian ally Assad, the West says Russian airstrikes are instead focused on U.S.-supported anti-Assad rebel fighters. The group, relying on witnesses and video, said the strikes hit predominantly civilian areas in three villages and towns, including homes and a bread distribution center.

He asked that Russian Federation also respect Turkey’s security concerns over neighboring Syria.

“The attacks on the moderate Syrian opposition will strengthen IS”, the Turkish prime minister noted.

“On the whole, these proposals could be put in place”, he said, adding: “We will for our part only try to clarify certain technical details which will be discussed today between Russian military defence experts and those from the Pentagon”.

NATO, on Tuesday, rejected Moscow’s explanation that its warplanes had violated alliance member Turkey’s airspace by mistake and said Russian Federation was sending more ground troops to Syria and building up its naval presence. However, Stoltenberg said there was a growing presence of Russian forces in Syria.

But fighters on the ground and Western countries have said the Russian campaign is mainly focusing on other rebel groups that have seized government-held areas in the west, and is aimed at shoring up Assad rather than combating hardliners.

A U.S.-led coalition has been waging air strikes against Islamic State militants, Syria’s most powerful insurgent force, since past year but North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is not directly involved.

“It seems the Russians are in it not to fight Islamic State but to fundamentally alter the equation in such a way that Assad gets a new lease of life”, Ilter Turan, Professor of Political Science at Istanbul Bilgi University, told AFP.

Meanwhile, across the border in Iraq, politicians said they may soon call for Russian Federation to begin airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) group there.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other activists said a military helicopter was downed in Kfar Nabouda, in northern Hama.

He said US aircraft are still flying attack and other missions daily over Syria.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tanju Bilgic said Turkey suggested the meeting during a meeting with the Russian ambassador who was summoned to the ministry for a third day running on Tuesday to discuss the Russian violations.

Iranian government officials could not immediately be reached for comment, but the semi-official Fars news agency said Western news reports of missiles going astray amounted to USA “psychological warfare” against Russia’s intervention in Syria.

USA officials have previously said Russian Federation has sent seven T-90 tanks, a few artillery, and about 200 marines.