Putin: Syria action shows Russian military power

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, information on the ammunition depot’s destruction in Raqqa and Homs was provided by Syrian opposition representatives. Russian Federation says it is striking mainly Islamic State extremists, although numerous airstrikes have focused on areas where rebels are fighting to topple Assad.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops captured the village and advanced to a point a few 2 kilometers (1.3 miles) from Kweiras air base.

(Adds Syrian government side takes village in Latakia) BEIRUT, Nov 6 (Reuters) – Syrian rebels recaptured a village and surrounding areas in the west of the country on Friday, consolidating significant advances made the day before at the expense of pro-government forces, a monitoring group said.

The war has evolved into a wider proxy struggle between global powers, as Russian Federation has joined the Assad-Iran axis and Western powers have stepped up support for Gulf Arab-backed rebels.

Soon after the Russian air campaign began on September 30, Assad’s forces began several ground offensives.

Another local commander, Murhaf Anjeer from the small Al-Arbaeen Battalion, said the Russian strikes were “wearing out” his fighters, leaving them constantly on edge that they are about to be hit from the air. Factions rely more on small groups of fighters that fire TOWs and retreat to avoid drawing attention of warplanes.

Apparent Russian airstrikes killed at least 11 civilians Sunday in two towns in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province and 23 more Saturday in a rebel-held town outside Damascus, an activist group said.

Speaking to ARA News in Damascus, media activist Anas Dumani said that Russian warplanes struck the rebel-held city of Duma in the Eastern Ghouta east of Damascus, killing 23 civilians, including women and children. Recent Russian military history shows that this is unlikely. Backed by the strikes, Syrian troops have been trying to reach Kweiras and break the siege. They captured several towns north of Aleppo from rebels. “Even though we are the weakest link in the Syrian conflict, we will win with our weapons”.