Russia launches joint air and ground offensive in Syria

Russian warships have joined in strikes in Syria with a volley of cruise missile attacks, as Russian president Vladimir Putin pledged his air force would back a ground offensive by government forces. Carrying out air strikes, sending attack helicopter, ground troops, and T-90 tanks, and laser-guided missiles are more than just a symbolic move.

The exact areas hit were not immediately specified.

It was also mentioned that rerouting of US planes has been made to maintain a safe distance from Russian forces.

“The steps Russian Federation is taking and the bombing campaign in Syria is unacceptable in any way for Turkey…”

He added that the operations were also meant to begin securing the major highway between Aleppo and Damascus. The Russians acknowledged having intruded once on Saturday, calling it accidental, but denied doing it again on Sunday. “They continue to hit targets that are not ISIL”. The city has been divided between government and opposition control for more than three years.

The latest developments after Syrian troops, emboldened by Russian airstrikes, launch a ground offensive against insurgents (all times local).

This video shows the moment a Russian fighter jet launches an air strike on an “ISIS target” in Syria.

Moscow insists it is only striking militants but the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian airstrikes in Idlib killed at least seven civilians on Wednesday.

On October 7, Russian Federation and Syria reportedly unleashed a coordinated assault by land, air and sea, seeking to reverse recent gains by rebel groups that are fighting against the Syrian government.

However, Zamili said that such center will develop in the near future into a joint operations command that would lead the battles against the IS extremist group. It then “swiftly considered” the US proposals to coordinate.

Both Hama and Idlib provinces have already been heavily targeted by Russian warplanes in an aerial campaign that began a week ago and which Moscow says targets the Islamic State group.

“In Syria, we have seen a troubling escalation of Russian military activities”, Stoltenberg said. Moscow said it was meant for ISIS, but the US and its allies reportedly feel otherwise. The document aims to develop plans so that their air forces avoid mistakenly coming into contact in the skies over Syria. The defence secretary said the issues would be raised at an upcoming meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ministers in Brussels. Assad has welcomed the Russian intervention.

He said that Turkish and Russian diplomatic and military authorities are discussing conditions in which border violations happened and how long they lasted.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson was a guest on radio station Rás 1, where he spoke about the current situation in Syria, RÚV reports; namely, Russia’s involvement in the Syrian conflict.