Russian warplanes take off from Iran to target IS in Syria

The Russian warplanes then returned to Russia and no Russian forces remained stationed in Iran, said a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak to reporters about the matter.

Russia is now conducting airstrikes on militants in Syria from the territory of nearby Iran, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday.

A USA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Russian bombers were believed to have returned to Russia.

An unnamed military source told Interfax news agency on Monday that Russian Federation had also sent requests to Iran and Iraq to fire cruise missiles across their airspace.

“The Russians did notify the coalition”, he said, adding that they “informed us they were coming through” airspace that could potentially put them in proximity of USA and coalition aircraft in Iraq or Syria.

The coalition has since previous year operated a “memorandum of understanding” with Russian Federation, whereby the two military forces notify each other of flights during their separate bombing campaigns to avoid accidents in the skies over Syria. “They did not impact coalition operations in either Iraq or Syria during the time”.

Another 10 people died in air attacks in the Ommal neighbourhood of Deir al-Zour, the committees said.

The long-range TU-22M3 bombers took off from near the Iranian city of Hamedan, around 280 kilometres southwest of the Iranian capital, and struck targets in three provinces in northern and eastern Syria. “There is no weapon they have not dropped on Aleppo – cluster bombs, phosphorus bombs, and so on”. Local groups said 27 civilians had died.

A “significant number of militants” were also thought to be killed, the ministry said.

Both government troops and opposition fighters are now locked in a battle for the strategic Syrian city of Aleppo, where residents face a growing humanitarian crisis. The city has been contested since 2012.

Conducting its bombing raids from Iran will dramatically cut the time it takes Moscow’s long-range bombers to reach Syria.

The report described the air base as “quite large with a 15,000-foot (4,572-meter) runway, extensive taxiways and multiple hangars and bunkers – all seemingly in good fix”.

Five years into a Syrian civil war that has killed thousands and forced millions to flee their homes, Russian Federation and the United States are the most influential outside players in the conflict, but the objectives they are pursuing diverge.

The rights group said it had documented the use of incendiary weapons at least 18 times since June that had resulted in more than a dozen injuries. “The disgraceful incendiary weapon attacks in Syria show an abject failure to adhere to global law”.

“There are no air ammunition with incendiary substances such as napalm in Russian Federation”.

US Secretary of State John Kerry recently threatened a “Plan B” to increase arms to Syrian rebels if Russian Federation and Assad did not change tactics and stop targeting moderate opposition groups supported by the US and its European and Arab partners.

Before, Moscow only used facilities in Russian Federation and in the government-controlled areas in Syria for its missions in the Arab country. Using Hamedan in Iran means having to fly less than half that distance, which could mean carrying more bombs.

It is virtually unheard of for Iran in recent history to allow foreign powers to use its bases for attacks.

Iran has long banned foreign militaries from establishing bases on its soil.

Moscow’s alliance with Iran might also allow Russian Federation to make further inroads into both countries.

On Tuesday, Aug. 16, Secretary of Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Shamkhani, confirmed in an interview with IRNA that Tehran provided infrastructure to Moscow to combat ISIL terrorists from the territory of Iran.

“Constructive and extended cooperation among Iran, Russia, Syria, and the resistance front has made the situation hard for terrorists and this process will continue with the beginning of a new and extended operation until their annihilation”, Shamkhani, a former military chief, pointed out. Russian aircraft have been reported to land there before.

Tuesday’s announcement marks a major development in the efforts against the Sunni militant group.

Russian Federation has been operating jets and helicopters from bases in Syria for the past year, but this is the first time that Moscow has deployed aircraft to a third country in the region.