Russian warplanes have carried out 46 sorties in Syria over the past 24 hours destroying 83 ISIL targets, the Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman said Wednesday during a briefing in Moscow.
#SYRIA For 24 hrs,Russian pilots peformed 46 combat sorties engaging 83 terrorist facilities https://t.co/6GtVbcYaiQ pic.twitter.com/E3YdJugMjw
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 21 октября 2015
"The planes of the Russian aviation group in the Syrian Arab Republic have carried out 46 sorties on 83 objects of infrastructure of the Islamic State terrorist group in the past 24 hours. Primarily the strikes were carried out in provinces of Idlib, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zur, Damascus and Hama," Konashenkov said.
Specifically, they destroyed a militant rendezvous point in the Idlib province, he told journalists.
#SYRIA Near #Aleppo, Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist grouping's facility with a plant producing radio bombs & depot of explosives were destroyed
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 21 октября 2015
The Russian drones had uncovered the center in Idlib as they were conducting reconnaissance, Konashenkov said. "The group controlled the launches on the battlefield from that object… The object was destroyed by a Su-24 bomber strike."
A large field camp of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra group detected near Khan-Sheikoun in El Ghab valley was destroyed by Su-25 attack aircraft. It included militants' housing, warehouses, and vehicles, Konashenkov said.
The Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed a radio-controlled explosive device factory, as well as an explosives depot of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group in Syria, he went on to say.
"After carrying out a precision strike with guided aerial bombs and the subsequent detonation of explosives, the site and two nearby trucks, carrying tens of tons of explosives, were destroyed."
The Defense Ministry spokesman said militants were mining abandoned housing complexes and social infrastructure buildings with remote controlled explosive devices before deserting their positions.
“A large portion of these explosives are carefully disguised and are fixed with timers that should detonate after a certain time, sometimes after several weeks,” Konashenkov said.
#SYRIA Near #Aleppo, Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist grouping's facility with a plant producing radio bombs & depot of explosives were destroyed
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 21 октября 2015
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Islamiс State is in talks with other terrorist groups operating in Syria about joining forces against the Syrian Army.
“Intercepted radio communications suggest that commanders of several large units of the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group have begun talks with leaders of the Islamic State terrorist organization about joining forces to contain the Syrian Army offensive,” Konashenkov said.
Russia started precision airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria on September 30, following a request from Syria's internationally recognized government. The Russian airstrikes hit targets that are chosen based on intelligence collected by Russia, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
