ISIS News in Syria: Russia Launches First Airstrikes
With claims of targeting the Islamic State in Syria, Russia has launched its first airstrikes, which according to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, will do nothing more than "backfire" and further "inflame" the long-standing civil war.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its warplanes were aiming at eight ISIS posts, including arms, transportation, communications, and control positions, as reported by CNN.
The U.S. Defense Secretary then slammed the claims, saying the country's actions will only make the war worse as the Russian airstrikes were seemingly deployed in areas that are believed to lack the presence of ISIS forces.
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"I want to be careful about confirming information, but it does appear that they [Russian airstrikes] were in areas where there probably were not ISIL forces. The result of this kind of action will inevitable, simply be to inflame the civil war in Syria," he told reporters.
Russia's first intervention in the Syrian conflict was launched early Wednesday by aerial attacks on the supposed opposition forces inside Syria. While the Obama administration discussed with Russian counterparts in the past weeks to get to the bottom of Russia's true intent for its attacks, the U.S. officials, including the president himself, seemed to be surprised by the Russian government's moves.
Earlier on Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry told the United Nations Security Council that while the United States would not keep Russia from targeting ISIS posts or Al Qaeda forces, the officials firmly believe that further airstrikes would only be patting Syrian President Bashar Assad on the back and would result to additional problems.
SANA, the Syrian state-run news outlet, reported that Russian warplanes attacked "ISIS dens" positioned in al-Rastan, Talbiseh, and Zafaraniya in the province on Homs, Al-Tilot al-Hmer in Qunaitra province, Aydoun, Deer Foul, which is located between Hama and Homs, and some areas in the outskirts of Salmiya.
Meanwhile, Kerry said the U.S.-led coalition between U.S. forces and Syrian fighters had launched 3,000 airstrikes against the extremists and the joint forces would push through with efforts to take down the terror group that led to the migrant crisis in Europe.
