Syrian Army Uses New Russian Jets to strike ISIL: Report
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Syrian army used newly arrived Russian warplanes to bombard ISIL militants in Aleppo province in northern Syria in an attempt to break a siege on a nearby air base, a UK-based group said on Thursday.
Russia has said it is bolstering its ally Damascus with military aid in line with the international law, that US officials claim has included fighter jets, helicopter gunships, artillery and ground forces.
The air strikes, which began earlier this week, were accompanied by ground attacks near the Kweiris air base in the east of Aleppo province, where Syrian army have long been surrounded by militants, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, Reuters reported.
The Russian jets arrived only "recently" in Syria but were being flown by Syrian pilots, said the UK-based group, which is close to the armed militants in Syria and tracks the war via a network of sources on the ground.
Many Western countries have reacted with alarm to allegations of Moscow's increased military support for President Bashar al-Assad, whom they oppose. But the rise of a common enemy,Daesh (ISIL), has rendered divisions less clear.
Moscow has made clear it does not want to see Assad toppled, and has urged his foreign foes, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, to work with Damascus to combat the common enemy.
Western states and their allies have been supporting terrorists fighting Assad's government during a four-year war that has seen more than 220,000 people killed and one million wounded since March 2011.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said over the weekend the United States welcomed Russia's involvement in tackling ISIL militants in Syria. But he said a worsening refugee crisis highlighted the need to find a compromise that could also lead to political change in the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to continue military support for Assad in line with international law.