Russian warships fire cruise missiles as Assad launches ground offensive in

Carter predicted Russia’s support for the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, including the new joint offensive, “will have consequences for Russia itself”, adding: “I also expect that in coming days the Russians will begin to suffer casualties in Syria”.

The Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, said rebels were able to destroy two tanks and an armored personnel carrier in northern Hama province near Idlib.

“The force that they have deployed down there is actually quite impressive for a rapid deployment of a week or so”, Lute said.

Heavy fighting was concentrated in the rural parts of Idlib, Hama and Latakia provinces – areas of operation for an array of insurgent groups that includes the Nusra Front.

It was the first time that American authorities have offered any specific figures about the impact of Russian airstrikes in the war-torn country. She said Russian Federation strongly believes that there is no solution to the crisis in Syria except through a political one that preserves the unity and stability of Syria.

He added: “Over Syria we’re taking action as necessary to ensure safe separation” of U.S.-led and Russian bombers.

Speaking at almost the same time, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said, “Russia’s joining the struggle against terrorism on Syria’s territory will lead to changes in the region and the whole world”, in remarks relayed by Russia’s Tass news agency.

Today, Syrian rebels are claiming to have forced down a Russian helicopter.

Targeting Tabqa may have represented a reprisal attack by Moscow.

The Russian Defense Ministry, however, took strong issue with the CNN report in a posting on Facebook Thursday.

Like all cruise missiles, 3M14TE is powered by a turbojet engine and guided stubby wings that pop out after launch.

A video map released by Russia’s defence ministry showed the missiles launched from warships in the southern Caspian Sea and flying close to 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) through Iranian and Iraqi airspace before hitting targets in Syria.

The official was referring to Moscow’s denials that men wearing green fatigues and using Russian weapons to fight the Ukraine government – often dubbed “little green men” – were in fact Russian soldiers. “The Russian side is checking the data, ” he said”.

Moscow says it shares the West’s aim of preventing the spread of Islamic State, and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during a televised meeting that four Russian warships in the Caspian Sea had launched 26 missiles at Islamic State in Syria earlier in the day.

Davutoglu said the information Turkey had indicated that out of 57 air strikes carried out by Russian Federation in Syria, only two had targeted IS extremists.

After a summer of significant setbacks at the hands of Islamic State militants and other anti-government fighters, Syrian forces are expected to use Russia’s new support to push out from government-controlled areas in the western third of the country. Soleimani and Putin reviewed maps and surveillance photos and shared intelligence, all suggesting the militant group would expand its reach to Russia’s doorstep in the Caucuses if Moscow didn’t act, the two officials said.