|
A frame grab taken from footage released by Russia's Defence Ministry September 30, 2015, shows precise airstrikes carried out by the country's air force on Wednesday, against Islamic State (IS) ground positions in a mountainous area in Syria. Russian air strikes in Syria are targeting a list of well-known militant organisations, not only Islamic State, the Kremlin said on Thursday, a day after the launch of its aerial campaign opened up a volatile new phase in the conflict. Moscow had previously framed its campaign as primarily aimed at Islamic State militants, saying it feared Russian and other ex-Soviet citizens who belong to the group would shift their focus to their home countries if they were not stopped in Syria. But on Thursday, after the United States and rebels on the ground suggested Russian strikes had so far not focused on Islamic State, it said its operation was pitched more broadly. (Photo by Reuters/Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation)
|
