(UDHAYAM, MOSCOW) – Russian and Turkish jets have carried out their first joint strikes on so-called Islamic State (IS) inside Syria, the Russian defence ministry says.
IS was targeted in the suburbs of the town of al-Bab, Aleppo province, where Turkey suffered heavy casualties last month battling the group on the ground.
A Russian spokesman, Lt-Gen Sergei Rudskoi, said the joint action had been “highly effective”.
Russia and Turkey have become leading outside players in Syria’s civil war.
Al-Bab, about 20km (12 miles) from the Turkish border, has been the focus of a five-month Turkish campaign aimed at pushing back both IS and Kurdish forces.
US aircraft carried out strikes on the area earlier this week, also in co-operation with Turkey.
How big is this new operation?
Gen Rudskoi said nine Russian aircraft and eight Turkish planes were involved in Wednesday’s strikes.
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He listed them as four Su-24’s, four Su-25’s and one Su-34 on the Russian side, and four F-16’s and four F-4’s on the Turkish side.
They had hit 36 targets, he added, without giving details.
But he added: “The estimate of the first strikes against IS terrorists have shown that the joint actions of the Russian and Turkish aviation groups were highly effective.” (Courtesy – BBC)
