Russian war planes hit record 118 Syria targets in 24 hours: Moscow

RUSSIA claims to have struck 118 “terrorist” targets in Syria in the last 24 hours, its highest daily total so far, thanks to new intelligence.

Frame grab from footage released by Russia's Defence Ministry shows airstrikes carried out by Russian air force in Syria

RUSSIAN war planes have struck 118 “terrorist” targets in Syria over the past 24 hours, its highest daily total yet, thanks to fresh intelligence.

The Russian ministry of defence said Russian jets hit 118 targets during 71 sorties over the provinces of Idlib, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Damascus and Latakia.

It was the highest one-day tally since the Kremlin began its bombing campaign on September 30.

The previous record was set on Monday when Moscow said it had struck 94 “terrorist” targets in Syria.

“The number of sorties has gone up,” the ministry said in a statement. “This is due to an increase in intelligence data,” he said, adding that targets had been “confirmed via various channels.”

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The strikes destroyed a command post near the town of Talbisseh in Homs province that belonged to Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, said the ministry.

Among the other targets was a base in Aleppo province used to control a “terrorist” weapon supply route which was “destroyed”, along with the vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft systems that were protecting it, it said.

In Sahl al-Ghab valley, which lies between the provinces of Hama and Idlib, the warplanes hit a “camouflaged supply base”, causing an explosion that also destroyed trucks parked some 500 metres away.

Russian forces also hit a command and communications post of Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) group near Mesraba, a town northeast of Damascus, and “completely destroyed” a command post in Salma, Latakia, after discovering it with unmanned aerial vehicles.

Moscow says its bombing campaign targets Islamic State jihadists and other “terrorists” but the United States and its allies accuse Russia of targeting Western-backed moderate rebels fighting Kremlin-backed President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

Russian jets hit 118 targets during 71 sorties over the provinces of Idlib, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Damascus and Latakia, said the defence ministry.

It was the highest one-day tally since the Kremlin began its bombing campaign on September 30.

The previous record was set on Monday when Moscow said it had struck 94 “terrorist” targets in Syria. The defence ministry released no information on Tuesday.

“The number of sorties has gone up,” the ministry said in a statement. “This is due to an increase in intelligence data,” he said, adding that targets had been “confirmed via various channels.” The strikes destroyed a command post near the town of Talbisseh in Homs province that belonged to Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, said the ministry.

Among the other targets was a base in Aleppo province used to control a “terrorist” weapon supply route which was “destroyed”, along with the vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft systems that were protecting it, it said.

In Sahl al-Ghab valley, which lies between the provinces of Hama and Idlib, the warplanes hit a “camouflaged supply base”, causing an explosion that also destroyed trucks parked some 500 metres away.

War planes ... bombs lie near a Russian war plane at Hemeimeem air base, Syria. Picture: AP Photo/Vladimir Isachenkov

Russian forces also hit a command and communications post of Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) group near Mesraba, a town northeast of Damascus, and “completely destroyed” a command post in Salma, Latakia, after discovering it with unmanned aerial vehicles.

Moscow says its bombing campaign targets Islamic State jihadists and other “terrorists” but the United States and its allies accuse Russia of targeting Western-backed moderate rebels fighting Kremlin-backed President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.