Ground troops loyal to Bashar al-Assad have launched a major offensive in central Syria backed by Russian airstrikes in an escalation in Moscow’s week-long campaign, which has so far been restricted to bombing runs to soften up rebel positions near major loyalist strongholds.

Russian warships also fired missiles into Syria from the Caspian Sea for the first time. The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said four warships launched 26 rockets at Islamic State targets. The missiles would have passed over Iran and Iraq to reach their targets, covering what Shoigu described as a distance of almost 900 miles.

Syrian activists said Russian fighter jets bombed a series of towns held by the opposition in the countryside of Hama, in concert with a push by regime troops and armoured vehicles and the deployment of Russian helicopters, in what was described as the fiercest combat in months.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group with wide contacts inside Syria, said Russian fighter jets had launched at least 37 strikes on Wednesday. The SOHR said the Russians bombed targets in the province of Idlib, most of which is held by a coalition of rebels known as Jaysh al-Fateh, which includes the al-Qaida wing in Syria.



The Syrian push on the ground is the first time President Assad’s forces have coordinated with the Russian airforce in an attempt to seize lost territory from opposition forces, ushering in some of the fiercest fighting in months in the civil war, which has now lasted four and a half years and killed more than a quarter of a million people.

The assault mirrors the US strategy in northern Syria, where coalition planes bombed Isis positions to pave the way for their allies on the ground to advance against the militants. It also poses the question of how much territory the regime’s army, exhausted and depleted by the conflict, can seize from the rebels.

Most of the fighting appeared to be concentrated in Hama, a central province with a majority Sunni capital that has remained in the hands of the regime since the start of the war. It is key to Assad’s strategy of cementing control over major population centres in a strip of territory from Latakia in the north, through to Homs, Hama and Damascus.


Rebels recently attempted to wrest control of the strategic al-Ghab plain in Hama’s countryside, drawing closer to Assad’s coastal strongholds, and the Russian strategy seems primarily aimed at securing this territory from further incursions.

Jaysh al-Fateh conquered most of Idlib in a spring offensive, forcing the regime to abandon the province. Russian airstrikes have repeatedly targeted the province over the past week, though there is no known Isis presence in the area.

The SOHR said Russian planes also bombed targets on the outskirts of the historic city of Palmyra, which was seized by Isis in May, and the town of Qaryatain, which was also seized by the militants this summer and whose Christian residents have either been taken hostage or fled. Syrian state TV said airstrikes also hit Isis positions in northern Aleppo.

It is unclear if the Assad regime will be able to score major ground advances against the rebels following years of vicious warfare that has sapped his armed forces, and amid widespread dereliction of duty among its conscripts, while facing rebels who are united by their anger at the Russian intervention.


Turkey 'cannot endure' Russian violation of airspace, president says
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“Russia is primarily targeting opposition fighters, and this could end any future peace process in Syria and strengthen the role of Islamic State and the extreme factions that do not want peace, whether they support or oppose the regime,” said the SOHR’s director, Rami Abdul Rahman.

The latest airstrikes and ground assault come amid heightened tensions between Russia and Nato, after Russian fighter planes penetrated Turkish airspace over the weekend, sparking protests and condemnation from the alliance with pledges to respond to future incursions.

The Russian ministry of defence said it was continuing to consult with Turkey to ensure there would be no repetition of the incident.

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said it was too early to talk about the results of Russia’s operations in Syria, ordering Shoigu to continue cooperation with the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq on the crisis.

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However, the US defence secretary, Ash Carter, said the United States would not cooperate militarily with Russia, although it was willing to hold discussions to secure the safety of its own pilots bombing Isis targets. Calling Moscow’s strategy “tragically flawed”, he renewed accusations that the strikes were not focused on Isis.

The head of the Iraqi parliament’s defence and security committee said Iraq may request Russian airstrikes against Isis on its soil soon, and wants Moscow to have a bigger role than the US in the war against the group.

Speaking in Brussels, the US ambassador to Nato, Douglas Lute, said on Wednesday that Russia’s buildup in Syria now included a “considerable and growing” naval presence, long-range rockets and a battalion of ground troops backed by Moscow’s most modern tanks.

On the eve of a meeting of Nato defence ministers set to be dominated by the intervention, Lute said the Kremlin seemed to be intent on forging a new counter-coalition to the western-Gulf axis, bringing together the Russians, Iranians, Iraqis, and Hezbollah behind Assad.

Moscow had managed a “quite impressive” military deployment over the past week to its Syrian naval base in Tartus and its army base in Latakia, Lute said.

“There is a considerable and growing Russia naval presence in the eastern Mediterranean, more than 10 ships now, which is a bit out of the ordinary,” he told a news briefing.

“The recent Russian reinforcements over the last week or so feature a battalion-size ground force ... There is artillery, there are long-range rocket capabilities, there are air defence capabilities,” Lute said. A battalion is typically made up of about 1,000 soldiers.

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A senior Turkish official said 18 Russian warships had passed through the Bosphorus strait at Istanbul en route to Moscow’s Syrian base, amid conflicting reports of Russian ground forces also being deployed.

Nato diplomats doubted the Russians were preparing any ground operations, but were sure that they were training and equipping Assad ground forces and were active on the ground beyond their military bases.

“The Iranians are on the ground, but not the Russians yet,” said the Turkish official.

The Turkish official and Nato diplomats said the Russians had also deployed air-to-air fighter aircraft which would not be used for bombing anti-Assad forces, but would engage in dogfights.

François Hollande, the French president, said failure to act in Syria risks stoking “total war” in the Middle East. “What happens in Syria concerns Europe, what happens there will determine the balance of the whole region for a long time,” he said in a speech to the European parliament in Strasbourg.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/07/russian-jets-pound-syrian-provinces-in-fresh-wave-of-attacks-says-watchdog

Shymm3x:
Missy89

I know ya bosses in Fairfax county and Langley won't like this and they're already counting their losses...but you gotta admit that Putin is now the leader of the free world. Worshiped in Russia. Wild celebrations in Europe. Brits calling the great man from Russia the saviour and the strongest world leader since Ronald Reagan. Africans are also jubilating. Only the yanks are yet to get on board.

The bear has arrived - it's the Russian century!

Emperor Putin!

Shymm3x:
Missy89

I know ya bosses in Fairfax county and Langley won't like this and they're already counting their losses...but you gotta admit that Putin is now the leader of the free world. Worshiped in Russia. Wild celebrations in Europe. Brits calling the great man from Russia the saviour and the strongest world leader since Ronald Reagan. Africans are also jubilating. Only the yanks are yet to get on board.

The bear has arrived - it's the Russian century!

Emperor Putin!

Lucasbalo:
Hey Buddy, you have to understand that Americans are tired of war especially what we went through with George Bush inIraq and Afghanistan. The economic impact is still being felt here not to talk of thousands of young Americans that died needlessly or tens of thousands that were injured. Putin can get himself bungled down in the Middle East for all I care. That may be the nail that wrill shut down his (Russian) economy.

Fleshly:


Rubbish,
One word for this post - jealousy and incompetence!

Lucasbalo:
Hey Buddy, you have to understand that Americans are tired of war especially what we went through with George Bush inIraq and Afghanistan. The economic impact is still being felt here not to talk of thousands of young Americans that died needlessly or tens of thousands that were injured. Putin can get himself bungled down in the Middle East for all I care. That may be the nail that will shut down his (Russian) economy.

Fleshly:


Please tell me - I've heard so much about this Ronald Reagan, and I can't seem to find any strong achievement he recorded.
So I ask what is this fuss about Reagan

Shymm3x:


How are the yanks tired of wars when they are responsible for the wars in Syria and Iraq, ISIL, Afghanistan, all kinds of Muslim extremists, and Ukraine? And why are crying when Putin is basically trying to clean up the mess they created?

Putin thinks before he acts unlike those at Pentagon. Trust me, the war in Syria would be over in a few months and the Islamists are already running away from the country. Unlike the over four years of deaths and utter destruction the yanks created there which have spilled over to Iraq, Libya, and beyond. This is kinetic power projection with assets that are highly effective and well coordination devoid of ulterior motives associated with the US and utter destruction.

Shymm3x:
Missy89

I know ya bosses in Fairfax county and Langley won't like this and they're already counting their losses...but you gotta admit that Putin is now the leader of the free world. Worshiped in Russia. Wild celebrations in Europe. Brits calling the great man from Russia the saviour and the strongest world leader since Ronald Reagan. Africans are also jubilating. Only the yanks are yet to get on board.

The bear has arrived - it's the Russian century!

Emperor Putin!

Shymm3x:


It wasn't really about his achievement on a global scale cos he was a racist who destroyed more than two generations of African Americans with drugs and mass incarceration - and the brain behind the reason why drug trafficking became as big as it is today.

However, even his biggest critics will always agree that he projected the US power to greater heights. He made the US more powerful than it actually is - hence he earned the strong leader tag. Reagan was a rough rider.

Shymm3x:


It wasn't really about his achievement on a global scale cos he was a racist who destroyed more than two generations of African Americans with drugs and mass incarceration - and the brain behind the reason why drug trafficking became as big as it is today.

However, even his biggest critics will always agree that he projected the US power to greater heights. He made the US more powerful than it actually is - hence he earned the strong leader tag. Reagan was a rough rider.

Lucasbalo:
You are absolutely wrong to say Americans are not tired of war. Remember , that was one of the reasons obama beat John McCain in 2008 election. We have presidential primaries going on now and war is not something americans are eager to get into especially with the economy in slow motion. That's going to be the Achille hills for the Republican nominee comes general election.we have spent trillions of dollars on this worthless wars with nothing to show for it. Putin is getting himself to something that he will regret. I hope Cameron follows Putin into Syria the same way your former PM followed Bush into the mess in Iraq and Afghanistan. No more unnecessary war from this Yankee and overwhelming majority of Yankees. Like the popular movie song says 'War, what's good for, absolutely nothing'. I wish Putin and his Amen corner well. He will find out Middle East is a volatile region. His country people will turn against him when the economy goes south. Time will tell.

Tkester:


I've heard this cliche severally, but how did he do that? Did he g to war?
Explain further, because myself I'm at loss too as to what the man actually accomplished.

Missy89:


The cruise missiles was more of a show off. Good for Russia.
Too early to tell how effective their intervention will be but so far so good.

I don't believe in the "moderate" jihadist idea anyway. A terrorist is a terrorist. That said, if America raise the stakes and give their jihadist missiles to shot down Russian planes, what then?

The Russian century part is a big joke.

OTDR:


Then Russia would respond in kind by giving dangerous weapons to enemies of the US and its allies. Russian forces are only in Syria and probably Ukraine, but US forces, they are spread across the globe, and have more enemies... In such game of tit-for-tat, US and its allies has more to loose. US isn't that stupid.

Missy89:


The cruise missiles was more of a show off. Good for Russia.
Too early to tell how effective their intervention will be but so far so good.

I don't believe in the "moderate" jihadist idea anyway. A terrorist is a terrorist. That said, if America raise the stakes and give their jihadist missiles to shot down Russian planes, what then?

The Russian century part is a big joke.

Missy89:



Obama doesn't have to arm anyone . He just need to show he is willing to raise the stakes. Russia is at the point of no return in Syria by escalating. Success is the only acceptable option at this point and the US can make that difficult it decides to. Personally I want Russia to succeed but everything depends on how successful their military will be at this point. Soviet Military leadership told Brezhnev they could win in Afghanistan too.

Shymm3x:


Lol. Missy sounds bitter. I know how it feels when billions wasted to train and fund death squads, terrorists, propaganda and utter destruction are destroyed by the "good guys" loool. You still haven't told what the mood of ya bosses in Fairfax county is right now, after seeing the evil Islamic empire they created get smashed to bits.

Yes, cruise missiles are more of a show off despite the effectiveness, no? The whole thing should be over in a matter of months - this isn't Afghanistan of the 90s with a Soviet doctrine that wasn't effective against asymmetry warfare. This is Putin's Russia with tons of servicemen who already fought in Chechnya. And Stinger missiles aren't effective against planes flying in high altitude.

Missy89:





I wasn't talking about shooting down their planes in high altitude. They have been using their helis too for air base patrol. Point is , Let's just hope no Russian pilot or solider fall into captivity. The war is still very far from over. Dont count your eggs yet.

I heard yesterday's offensive had minimal success. SAA made little gain despite relentless VKS air support

OTDR:
Whether you believe it or not, Putin's Russia is more popular and respected now than it ever was by outsmarting US and its allies in Syria. No amount of saber-rattling from the US and its allies can change that fact. The only way US can gain back its respect is by diplomacy, and that means Assad stays. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, US has lobbied Russia (with money) so its weapons dont fall into the hands of its enemies, and Russia has respected that for the most part. I dont think the US would burn that bridge with Russia over, common Syria. If that happens US has more to loose. Thats no brainer.

OTDR:


This is not about counting eggs, but weighing of consequences which are already too obvious. You dont throw stones at your glass house neighbor when you live in a far bigger & costlier glass house. That's called double stupid.

Tkester:
@Missy

Are you the person on your dp? If so, can we run things? Can I PM you?

OTDR:


Then Russia would respond in kind by giving similar weapons to enemies of the US and its allies to shoot down not just planes, but that can decimate US battle ships as well . Russian forces are only in Syria and probably Ukraine, but US forces are spread across the globe, and have more enemies than Russia would ever have... In such game of tit-for-tat, US and its allies have more to loose. US isn't that stupid and Syria isnt worth the gamble.

Missy89:


what things do you want to run?

Missy89:

I wasn't talking about shooting down their planes in high altitude. They have been using their helis too for air base patrol. Point is , Let's just hope no Russian pilot or solider fall into captivity. The war is still very far from over. Dont count your eggs yet.

I heard yesterday's offensive had minimal success. SAA made little gain despite relentless VKS air support

Tkester:


Pardon my choice of words... Poor diction indeed.

Nothing much, its just to get to know you and maybe see if we do fit.

Fleshly:
@ Shymex,

I feel now is the time for America to show the world a proof of its military might. Alas, it seems there military strength is only good on paper. Honestly, if Putin succeeds in his air campaign in Syria, then he would have restored Russia's leadership in the world.

Also, if PUtin succeeds in this air campaign, it will embolden him and that marks the beginning of the end of Saudi Arabia, NATO, and Sanctions.

Lucasbalo:
Obviously youu don't know nothing about what you are talking about. Jealousy and incompetence from where. Because americand are tired of war, to u that's incompetence and jealousy. Get a grip.