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Russia joins combat in Syria

just awesome news
keeps on getting better and better
 
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The war in Syria has no moral grounds as Bashar Al Assads no atrocities came out before start of Syrian war. Further so called Sunni Mujahdeen are paid by KSA and USA for their own interests, meanwhile hundreds of ordinary people died during war. The war should end at least with help of Russia. The only crime of Bashar is perhaps non cooperation with Israel like Egypt.
This war should end for the sake of innocent children, men and women dying there.
 
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Syria confirms receipt of Russian jets to target Isis

Syria has confirmed for the first time that it has received advanced fighter and reconnaissance aircraft from Russia, which the Damascus government says have significantly enhanced its ability to target Islamic State fighters.

The Syrian air force has “taken delivery of at least five fighter planes from Moscow as well as reconnaissance aircraft which allow us to identify targets with great accuracy,” a senior military official told the AFP news agency on Tuesday. Russia has also sent other “sophisticated military equipment” to fight Isis.

A Syrian army officer told the Guardian separately that infantry units were now receiving more accurate satellite images of Isis positions and that airstrikes against them were thus more accurate and frequent, apparently thanks to Russian help.

US officials have reported that Russia now has 28 fighter aircraft in Syria and plans to send 2,000 personnel to an airbase south of the coastal city of Latakia. Russia has started to fly unmanned aircraft over Syria in what appear to be surveillance operations.

There remains uncertainty, however, over how directly the Russians are prepared to get involved in the conflict.

Satellite pictures reported by IHS Janes Intelligence Review on Tuesday show the construction of two new Russian facilities north of Latakia. These “highlight how the rapid buildup of Russia’s expeditionary force in Syria is continuing apace,” it said.

On Monday the Kommersant newspaper in Moscow quoted a soldier at the naval base in the Syrian city of Tartus as saying that the number of Russian specialists there had grown to 1,700.

Four and a half years into a war that has killed an estimated 250,000 people, the arms deliveries represent a significant development. Russia and Iran have backed President Bashar al-Assad from the start while the US and European countries have called for his overthrow and given limited support to rebel groups, which have been eclipsed on the ground by Islamist fighters backed by the Saudis and Turkey or by Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaida’s Syrian affiliate.

The new aircraft, which arrived last Friday, have already been deployed against Isis in Deir Ezzor and Raqqa, the jihadist group’s de facto capital in north-eastern Syria. “Russian weapons are starting to have an effect in Syria,” the official said.

A Syrian army special forces officer said: “In the past two weeks there has been a noticeable increase in the accuracy and frequency of air force strikes. They actually call us now for more targets to hit. We have been receiving new intelligence, more accurate satellite and aerial imaging of Isis positions which we never got before.”

The officer added: “They [the Russians] might supply the weapons, but we will be the ones fighting on the ground.”

The anti-regime Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 38 Isis fighters had been killed in airstrikes on Monday. “The number of raids is growing and the strikes are more precise after the Syrian air force received arms and more efficient planes from Moscow,” said the observatory’s director Rami Abdel Rahman.


Analysts have noted that since the Russian buildup, the Syrian air force has moved from dropping barrel bombs on other rebel-held areas to attacking Isis in Raqqa and Palmyra. On Monday, however, up to 32 civilians were reported killed when Syrian government forces bombarded a rebel-held part of Aleppo.

Western and Arab governments appear confused by Moscow’s moves, having recently hoped that it would take part in diplomatic efforts to end the crisis. Britain’s defence secretary, Michael Fallon, said on Tuesday that the Russian buildup in Syria had further complicated an already complex situation. Unlike the US, the UK has had no direct talks with Russia about the deployment, he said.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners called the Russian move an “escalation” and said Syria had no future while Assad was in power. Foreign ministers of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council urged a political solution to the crisis “without any foreign intervention” – a clear swipe at Russia and Iran.

Western analysts say Vladimir Putin sees an opportunity to both assist the Assad regime and boost Russia’s influence in the region at the expense of the US. Further moves are likely to be set out when Putin addresses the UN general assembly in New York next week. He is due to meet the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on Wednesday.

The main significance of the Russian move is that it focuses on Isis, which is increasingly at the heart of western concerns, and portrays Assad as the essential partner in ensuring its defeat.

“Russia guesses that the conflicting objectives of all sides in the Syrian conflict – and of their international backers – will ensure that there can be no political solution for the foreseeable future,” said the Soufan Group, a US-based strategic analysis firm. “It is therefore taking advantage of this stalemate to increase the chances of Assad’s survival by inserting a significant military presence, while at the same time boosting its own influence in the broader Middle East.”

Efforts to find a negotiated solution to Syria’s war have repeatedly failed, despite the enormity of a crisis that has forced millions from their homes, many of them now seeking refuge in Europe.

Leonid Isayev, an associate professor of political science at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, said he believed Russian forces were not taking active part in the conflict but were preparing to do so if Damascus came under threat. Isayev toured government-controlled areas of Syria last week.

“Rumours that Russian soldiers are going to fight on the side of Assad are exaggerated,” Isayev told the Guardian. “I don’t disagree that Russian specialists are arriving in Syria, our equipment and weapons are being delivered, that’s a fact. We are modernising the base in Latakia, we are modernising the port in Tartus, and that’s being done to prevent the fall of Damascus because rebels are already in the outskirts and there’s a risk of attack.”

Additional reporting by Ala’a Ebrahim

Syria confirms receipt of Russian jets to target Isis | World news | The Guardian
 
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Russian jets in Syria appear to be to protect own base: Kerry | Zee News
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 - 00:45

Washington: Russia has increased its deployment of warplanes to Syria but so far they appear to be positioned to defend their own base rather than to mount an offensive campaign, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday.

"Yes, they have increased aircraft and there are certain kinds of aircraft there which, depending on what Russia's decision is about its long-term intentions, could raise questions," Kerry said.

"But for the moment, it is the judgment of our military and most experts that the level and type represents basically force protection for their deployment to an airbase, given the fact that it is in an area of conflict."

In his response, Kerry appeared to be playing down reports that the large build-up of Russian warplanes, vehicles and supplies at its Syrian airbase in Latakia marks a turning point in the war.

Syrian military officials from Bashar al-Assad's government say that new weapons delivered to them by Moscow have allowed them to step up their operations against rebel fighters.

It is not clear to what extent Russian forces will be directly involved in fighting, but Washington is concerned the build-up will embolden Assad to hold out against calls to step down in favor of a transitional government.

"Support for Assad is support for a Shiite minority government that dropped barrel bombs on its own people, that has gassed its own people, that has committed war crimes, starved and tortured its own people," Kerry said.

AFP

 
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WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Satellite photos taken in mid-September and obtained by IHS Jane's show Russian forces developing two additional military facilities near Syria's Mediterranean coast, Rob Munks, editor of IHS Jane's Intelligence Review, said on Tuesday.

Munks said the previously undisclosed work was taking place at a weapons storage facility and a military base north of Latakia, suggesting Russia is preparing to place troops at both locations.

Russia has been dramatically increasing its forces at an air base south of Latakia, a stronghold of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including positioning combat planes and helicopters as well as tanks and accommodation blocks.

Washington has been wary of Moscow's support for Assad and U.S. officials have said such deepening ties are troubling even as the United States and Russia have their eye on fighting the Islamic State militant group.

Jane's, a defense intelligence provider, acquired the images from a commercial satellite division of Airbus Group SE , according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the imagery.

Munks told Reuters one of the sites was located about 4 miles (7 km) north of Latakia and the second was 2 miles (3 km) west of that. The images showed construction of new buildings and grading of terrain, as well as the presence of new tents typically used by Russian military units.

One of the facilities is adjacent to a surface-to-air missile site, Munks added. (Reporting by Washington newsroom; Editing by David Storey and James Dalgleish)
 
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the Su30 is more like to protect the Syria airbase where they are staying
 
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Russia_Syria_2556826f.jpg

Russia starts Syria drone surveillance missions - The Hindu

U.S. officials on Monday said that Russia has started flying drone aircraft on surveillance missions in Syria.

The beginning of Russian drone flights underscored the risks of U.S.-led coalition planes and Russian aircraft operating within Syria's limited airspace, without agreeing on coordination or objectives in Syria's civil war.

The Pentagon declined comment at a news briefing when asked about the Reuters report on Russian drones, saying it could not discuss intelligence matters but said the U.S. Department of Defence was "keenly aware" of what was happening on the ground in Syria.

The White House acknowledged that Moscow's intentions were unclear and that the prospect of deepening Russian military backing Assad was troubling.

"We've made clear both in public and in private that doubling down on supporting Assad is a losing bet," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the number of fixed-wing, piloted Russian aircraft stationed at the air base near Latakia, an Assad stronghold, had also grown dramatically in recent days.

That included Russia's positioning of a dozen "Fencer" advanced-attack aircraft and a dozen "Frogfoot" jets, used for close air support. Those were in addition to Russia's first deployment of fighter jets last week.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said over the weekend the United States welcomed Russia's involvement in tackling Islamic State militants in Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to continue military support for Assad, assistance that Russia says is in line with international law.

U.S. and Russian defense chiefs agreed on Friday to explore ways to avoid accidental interactions, also known as "deconfliction" in military parlance. But those discussions were described as only at their inception.

It was unclear whether the U.S.-Russian talks might gain added urgency, now that Moscow has started drone flights.

Russia's drone operations appeared to be staged out of the air base near Latakia, officials said.

Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was not immediately clear how many Russian drone aircraft were operating or the scope of their missions.

At the State Department, spokesman John Kirby acknowledged concerns over the kind of Russian hardware being sent to Syria, saying it added to questions about whether Moscow's aim was mostly to battle Islamic State or to "prop up the Assad regime."
 
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Fri Sep 25, 2015 2:39pm EDT
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Hezbollah welcomes Russian buildup in Syria, says U.S. has failed| Reuters
Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah on Friday welcomed Russia's military buildup in Syria in support of their mutual ally, President Bashar al-Assad.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview with Al-Manar TV it was the failure of a U.S.-led campaign to defeat Islamic State that had pushed Russia to become directly involved in the conflict.

(Reporting by John Davison; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
 
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I don´´t understand why so many Muslims Support Russians to enter this bloody civil war in Syria.

Russian Army is there to kill Muslims.


There are different sects of Muslims. Secular Muslims are scared of conservative Muslims and they ask Russia to bomb conservative Muslims.

CPsQZtxWEAEQe0T.jpg:large
 
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Unbelievers fate is beeing stunned.


Secular = technologically advanced. That's why it's better to be secular :p: No Muslim majority country has high technology.

Turkey is the most technologically advanced Muslim majority country because of its large ethnic Greek population but still it has no engine.
 
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I guess, the area gave you a lasting nightmare....The bear is there to stay...


England is?

I never said England is holy or whatever. I just find it hilarious to see some delusional members making such childish comments like Russia is a peace loving nation. Something even the Russians themselves will laugh at.:lol:
 
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I never said England is holy or whatever. I just find it hilarious to see some delusional members making such childish comments like Russia is a peace loving nation. Something even the Russians themselves will laugh at.:lol:

Russians don´´t laugh. They die in Ukraine like flies.
 
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Jihadists only have small arms. WHY are Assad Forces loosing? Where are his soldiers gone?


Meh. It's not like Saudis / Emiratis can beat Houthis either. Rebels in Syria are way tougher than rebels in Yemen. These folks literally run towards firing machine guns to be killed while their comrades step over their bodies. Over 100,000 rebel fighters have been killed in Syria already.


Russians have state of the art technology that SAA doesn't have. Russians can bomb at night using thermal.

Russians don´´t laugh. They die in Ukraine like flies.


Yeah right. Ukrainians don't even dare shoot a bullet and they lost Crimea which got annexed by Russia.
 
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