Russian Air Force in Syria deploying over 50 planes & choppers – Defense Ministry Published time: 1 Oct, 2015 10:56
Russia’s Air Force fleet in Syria includes over 50 warplanes and helicopters, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry said, reporting eight overnight sorties.
Previously Russia hadn’t revealed any detail of its contingent in Syria, which started an aerial campaign on Wednesday to help the Syrian Army fight against terrorist troops.
“The air group was deployed on very short notice. It was possible because we had most of the materiel and ammunition ready at our depot in Tartus. We only had to move our aircraft and deliver some extra equipment,” spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry Igor Konashenkov told the media.
“The air group was deployed on very short notice. It was possible because we had most of the materiel and ammunition ready at our depot in Tartus. We only had to move our aircraft and deliver some extra equipment,” spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry Igor Konashenkov told the media.
The fleet includes the latest Su-24M and Su-25 ground attack planes, he said.
The airstrikes on Wednesday night targeted four Islamic State facilities, Konashenkov said.
“A terrorist HQ and an ammunition depot were destroyed near Idlib, as were a fortified three-level command center near Hama,” he said. “A direct bomb hit also completely destroyed a workshop north of Homs that produced explosives and ammunition,” he added, saying that at this workshop terrorists were stuffing vehicles with explosives. Those vehicles were then used to conduct terror attacks.
The night sorties raise the number of targets hit by Russia in Syria in the first 24 hours of the operation to 12.
“All the airstrikes are being conducted in coordination with the Syrian Army command. The Syrian Defense Ministry has deployed an operative group at the Hmaimim air base,” the Russian official said, referring to the airfield near near Basel al-Assad international airport south of Latakia, where the Russian forces are based.
ISIL completely fabricated enemy by US: Former CIA contractor Former CIA contractor Steven Kelley says that the ISIL terrorist group is a completely fabricated enemy created and funded by the United States.
ISIL completely fabricated enemy by US: Former CIA contractor Former CIA contractor Steven Kelley says that the ISIL terrorist group is a completely fabricated enemy created and funded by the United States.
“This is a completely fabricated enemy,” he said in a phone interview with Press TV from Anaheim, California on Thursday.
“The funding is completely from the United States and its allies and for people to think that this enemy is something that needs to be attacked in Syria or Iraq is a farce because obviously this is something that we create it, we control and only now it has become inconvenient for us to attack this group as a legitimate enemy,” Kelley added.
He made the remarks as US President Barack Obama is under pressure to seek congressional approval before expanding Washington’s military air campaign against ISIL targets from Iraq into neighboring Syria.
The Pentagon has already launched at least 100 airstrikes on ISIL positions in northern Iraq since Obama authorized the use of force against the terrorist group earlier this month.
The White House insists it does not need explicit congressional authorization for those operations because they are intended to protect American personnel and interests inside the Arab country.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday that Obama “will not hesitate to use his authority” to keep Americans safe, but added that the president was “committed to coordinating and consulting with Congress” on a decision to hit ISIL targets in Syria.
“If you want to get to the root of the problem and remove this organization, the first thing they need to do is to remove the funding and take care of entities responsible for the creation of this group,” Kelley said.
“If you want to get to the root of the problem and remove this organization, the first thing they need to do is to remove the funding and take care of entities responsible for the creation of this group,” Kelley said.
“I believe that this ISIS group would probably go away, would be easily defeated by the armies of [Syrian President] Bashar Assad,” he said.
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