Russian Federation cruise missiles from Caspian Sea strike ISIS in Syria

The latest developments – exactly a week after Russian Federation began launching airstrikes in Syria – add a new layer to the fray in the complex war that has torn this Mideast country apart since 2011.

In one video, weapons are spotted travelling just a few hundred feet from the ground and appear to strike targets in the ancient citadel 130 miles away from the capital Damascus.

“After the Russian airstrikes, which reduced the fighting ability of Daesh and other terrorist groups, the Arab Syrian armed forces kept the military initiative”, Ayoub said, using the Arabic acronym for the IS group.

But he acknowledges that the air operations have had to be adjusted since the Russians began flying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says French President Francois Hollande last week suggested that government forces in Syria form an alliance with the opposition’s Free Syrian Army.

“Russia is making a very serious situation in Syria much more risky”, Britain’s defence minister, Michael Fallon said, calling on Moscow to use its influence on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop bombing civilians.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Russia’s airstrikes in Syria in support of the Assad regime were “pouring gasoline on the fire” and called for Moscow to pursue a political solution.

Russia’s strikes on Wednesday targeted the towns of Kafr Zita, Kafr Nabudah, al-Sayyad and the village of al-Latamneh in Hama province and the towns of Khan Shaykhun and Alhbit in Idlib, the Observatory said. Observatory director Rami Abdurrahman described it as “the most intense fighting in months”.

They say U.S.-led coalition airstrikes are ineffective.

Around 15 army tanks and armoured vehicles had been destroyed or immobilised by rebel missile strikes, Abdulrahman and an opposition activist on the ground said. Rebels have controlled areas on the highway since 2012. Russian ground forces, hundreds of Russian marines – as well as four BM-30 Smerch rocket launchers capable of firing cluster munitions, mines as well as high explosive warheads – are now in position to strike, but there is no evidence they have done so according to multiple defense officials. It was not immediately clear if the pilots were Russian or Syrian.

Though the Islamic State has no presence in the areas hit Wednesday, al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria, the Nusra Front, is active in central and northern parts of the country – as are the Western-backed rebels.

He said only two out of 57 Russian strikes had hit the jihadist group.

Russia’s intervention in the Middle East, including a new security and intelligence-sharing agreement with Iran, Iraq and Syria, has raised concerns in Washington that its former Cold War enemy is gaining clout in the oil-producing region.

Meanwhile, Russian warplanes have twice violated Turkish airspace. Turkey also said an unidentified MiG-29 harassed its jets October. 6, prompting the foreign ministry to summon the Russian ambassador three times in protest.

Russia’s air campaign has already raised tensions with Turkey, after Ankara reported several alleged airspace violations by Russian aircraft.

The Russian Military Forces are inflicting strikes on the positions of the Islamic State terrorist organization in Syria.