This was published 9 years ago
Russia begins air strikes in Syria, but is not targeting Islamic State: US, French officials
By Ruth Pollard
Russia launched its first air strikes in Syria on Wednesday, reportedly hitting opposition-held areas in the province of Homs rather than the Islamic State militants it says it is targeting in its move to shore up the Syrian regime.
Local activists reported dozens of civilians, including several children, died in the attacks.
The Russian fighter jets launched their bombing raids from an airbase in the coastal city of Latakia just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin secured his parliament's unanimous approval for military intervention in Syria.
Russia's Ministry of Defence told Interfax News its missiles had struck "identified ISIL targets" after giving the United States – whose fighter jets, along with those from France, Australia and Canada, have also been conducting air strikes in Syria – only short notice of the attacks.
Local activists released videos showing the chaotic aftermath of the air strikes, one filmed from an ambulance racing through suburban streets towards what appeared to be an apartment block that had collapsed onto the footpath, smoke billowing into the sky.
Graphic footage of the dead, including children, was also circulating, although Fairfax Media was unable to confirm the source of the air strikes that hit the rebel-held northern suburbs of the Homs province, including Talbisah, al-Ghantoo, al-Rastan, al-Zafrana and al-Mukarramiyah.
The White Helmets, a Syrian search and rescue organisation, says at least 33 people including three children and one of their own volunteers, died in the attacks.
Talbisah is home to al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, as well as the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham group along with some so-called Western-backed rebels and other local opposition groups, writes Genevieve Casagrande from the US-based Institute for the Study of War.
"If confirmed, the airstrike would signal Russian intent to assist in the Syrian regime's war effort at large, rather than securing the regime's coastal heartland of Latakia and Tartus."
A US official told Reuters that the air strikes appeared to have hit areas that were not held by Islamic State.
A French security source agreed, telling Reuters: "If it is Homs, which it seems to be, it is not Daesh (Islamic State) that they are targeting, but probably opposition groups, which confirms that they are more in support of Bashar's regime than in fighting Daesh."
Russia's intervention in Syria was a game changer for the United States, Europe and Turkey, says Fawaz Gerges, a Middle East expert from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
"It will prolong the lifespan of the Assad regime, and it will most likely prevent any foreign intervention by Turkey and the US to create any safe zones for Syrians or assert any more pressure on Assad to leave," Prof Gerges says.
"The US-led coalition is based on the idea that first you defeat ISIS, while building the capacity of the local forces on the ground … and eventually force Assad to leave."
The Syrian leader had suffered several major strategic setbacks over the last few months, particularly in Idlib and Homs, and Russian intervention may allow him to stay on despite this loss of territory.
"Russia has given Assad a new lease on life and complicated the American strategy," he says, warning: "I doubt very much Russian intervention will make much of a difference in the fight against ISIS."
The attacks follow three weeks of military build up, in which Russia has deployed at least 28 fighter jets, 14 helicopters, dozens of tanks, anti-aircraft missile systems and around 2000 troops into north-western Syria.
The Russian President set the stage for the attacks with his speech this week to the United Nations General Assembly.
Kremlin chief of staff, Sergey Ivanov told local media "The operation's military goal is exclusively air support of the Syrian armed forces in their fight against ISIL", insisting there would be no ground troops fighting in Syria.
The Russian air force was dispatched to Syria following a formal request from Syria, President Assad's office said in a statement.
An estimated 250,000 people have been killed in Syria's four-year civil war that has turned into a multi-cornered battle between Syrian regime forces, Western-backed and Islamist rebel groups and Islamic State militants. More than four million Syrians have fled their homes, mostly to neighbouring countries, while a further 7.6 million have been displaced.
Human rights groups say the Assad regime, rather than the Islamic State, is responsible for the majority of deaths in Syria, in particular via its use of barrel bombs. The Syrian Government denies the allegations.