Russia launches airstrikes against Syrian rebels

President Putin and President Obama

Russia kicked off airstrikes against Syria’s rebel fighters Wednesday, in support of President Bashar Assad.

The attacks near Homs, about 60 miles east of Russia’s naval base in Tartus, came at the request of Assad, according to Twitter posts from an account tied to Syria’s government, Fox News reported. The area is heavily populated by the Free Syrian Army fighters, who have been waging a drawn-out campaign to oust Assad. Fox News said the area does not contain any ISIS terrorists.

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Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergey Ivanov confirmed the attacks came at the request of Assad, telling ITAR-Tass Russia’s parliament overwhelmingly approved the attacks and “the Federation Council unanimously supported the president’s [Assad] request, 162 votes in favor of granting permission,” CNN reported.

Ivanov then said the vote followed a request from Assad to help crush rebel fighters in his country.

The attacks also come as Russia has based four Su-34 Fullback fighter jets at the Latakia base in Syria, and sent more than 600 troops.

Peter Cook, a spokesman for the Pentagon, responded to reports of the Russian buildup in Syria on Tuesday by telling the media Secretary of Defense Ash Carter had told staffers to “open lines of communication with Russia on de-confliction,” CNN said.

Cook also said America and Russia have common ground in the fight against ISIS, but Carter has warned “the goal should be to take the fight to ISIL and not to defend the Assad regime.”

Russia, pre-attack, reportedly gave the United States a heads-up to avoid air space over the northern part of Syria, Fox News reported. The request was made at the American embassy by an unnamed three-star Russian general who said, Fox News reported: “If you have forces in the area we request they leave.”

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A top-ranked Pentagon official said America didn’t abide the request, and has plans to continue U.S. strikes over Syria against ISIS – but not in support of Assad.

The strikes follow a rather cold meeting between President Obama and President Putin at the United Nations in New York.

 

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