Russia denies civilian casualties, insists IS targeted in Syria strikes
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THE Russian Defense Ministry yesterday denied allegations that Russia’s air force failed to target positions of the Islamic State terrorist group in its airstrikes campaign in war-torn Syria.
“The allegations are complete nonsense and have no factual basis,” Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told reporters in Moscow.
On Thursday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a joint statement with the United States, Germany, Britain, France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, saying that Russian airstrikes did not target the IS and caused civilian casualties.
Konashenkov said the ministry was monitoring various sources of false information and intended to provide the public with its own reports accompanied by maps and videos twice a day.
Russian air force aircraft, including Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25, carried out 18 sorties against 12 IS targets in Syria over the last 24 hours, the ministry said in a separate statement.
Among others, three command posts, a communications center, two training camps, various bunkers, as well as weapons and fuel depots were destroyed in the air attacks, it said.
Su-34 fighter bombers carried out precision strikes from heights of over 5,000 meters, the statement said, adding that this type of aircraft can carry out strikes against terrorist targets in the whole territory of Syria.
“The navigation device on board the aircraft allows hitting any ground targets with absolute precision,” it said.
Russia started airstrikes in Syria on Wednesday after the Russian Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, granted President Vladimir Putin the right to send troops following a request by Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Over 50 Russian aircraft and combat helicopters have been deployed at Syria’s Hmaimin airbase, located close to the port of Latakia.
The US-led coalition that is waging its own air war against IS, however, called on the Russians to halt strikes on targets other than IS. “We call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease its attacks on the Syrian opposition and civilians and to focus its efforts on fighting IS,” said the coalition, which includes the US, major European powers, Arab states and Turkey.
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