Russia says it struck 53 Daesh positions in 24 hours

ANKARA

The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday it has struck 53 Daesh positions in the last 24 hours, while Syrian opposition claims to have been bombed by Russian airplanes.

“In the course of the last 24 hours, Russian military aircraft Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25SM have executed 55 combat outings engaging 53 ISIS [Daesh] positions in the Homs, Hamah, Lattakia and Idlib provinces,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in the statement.

The ministry said Russian jets had destroyed underground facilities, ammunition depots in Lattakia, militant camps near the province of Idlib, and had eliminated a column of automobile vehicles reportedly transporting ammunition and fuel in the north of Hama.

Separately, Syrian opposition sources claimed that Russian jets continued their pounding of opposition positions in Hama.

They said that the opposition groups were forced to withdraw from certain areas in Hama after severe fighting with the Syrian regime, which was supported by Russian jets.

Assad regime forces, supported by Russian jets, began a ground offensive in Hama’s northern rural regions last week.

Russia began air operations in Syria on Sept. 30. The Kremlin claims the airstrikes are aimed at supporting the forces of Russia’s ally, President Bashar al-Assad, against Daesh.

However, Turkey and the West have accused Russia of targeting moderate fighters opposed to Assad, many of which are supported by Turkey and the U.S.

ANKARA

The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday it has struck 53 Daesh positions in the last 24 hours, while Syrian opposition claims to have been bombed by Russian airplanes.

Separately, Syrian opposition sources claimed that Russian jets continued their pounding of opposition positions in Hama.

They said that the opposition groups were forced to withdraw from certain areas in Hama after severe fighting with the Syrian regime, which was supported by Russian jets.

Assad regime forces, supported by Russian jets, began a ground offensive in Hama’s northern rural regions last week.

Russia began air operations in Syria on Sept. 30. The Kremlin claims the airstrikes are aimed at supporting the forces of Russia’s ally, President Bashar al-Assad, against Daesh.

However, Turkey and the West have accused Russia of targeting moderate fighters opposed to Assad, many of which are supported by Turkey and the U.S.