The Russian military says it has carried out three days of “massive” missile and bomb strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) targets across northern Syria, after President Vladimir Putin early this week blamed terrorists for the air crash in Egypt that killed 224 people.
The development earned a grudging acknowledgment from the Obama administration that Russia may now indeed be focusing on the group which Moscow insists has been its target from the outset in the seven week-old campaign.
A spokesman for the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition was unimpressed, however, questioning the “antiquated tactics,” skills and capabilities of the Russian forces.
In addition to scores of bombing sorties carried out from the Syrian airbase that Russia is using, long-range aircraft flew missions directly from bases in Russia, dropping bombs and firing air-launched cruise missiles, the military said.
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