Syria army in major offensive backed by Russia strikes
October 07, 2015
Moscow said it was synchronising its air raids with Syrian army movements on the ground, and announced that four ships from its Caspian Sea fleet had joined in strikes on Islamic State group targets.
A Syrian military source told AFP that government troops and allied forces had begun a broad ground operation on Wednesday in the central province of Hama with Russian air cover.
The operation centres around the village of Latmeen, with Russian planes carrying out dozens of strikes on the village and surrounding areas, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Britain-based monitor reported at least 37 Russian strikes on Wednesday in Hama province and neighbouring Idlib province, which is controlled by the powerful Army of Conquest alliance that includes Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.
The rebel alliance has sought to expand into Hama from Idlib and seize high ground that could be used to target the neighbouring regime stronghold of Latakia province.
"The Syrian army in its latest operations is working on cutting off the southern parts of Idlib province from the northern parts of Hama province," a military source in Hama told AFP.
He added the operations were also intended to begin securing the major highway between Aleppo and Damascus, which runs near Latmeen and surrounding villages but is severed in several places further north by rebels.
In Moscow, Putin said Russian strikes would "be synchronised with the actions of the Syrian army on the ground and the actions of our air force will effectively support the offensive operation of the Syrian army."
He also announced for the first time that four Russian warships had struck IS targets with cruise missiles on Wednesday.
Russia´s defence ministry meanwhile said its forces had hit 112 targets since its operations in Syria began on September 30.
