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| Russian, Turkish Air Forces conduct first joint anti-ISIS op in Syria | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Moscow and Ankara are carrying out their first joint military operation against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in the Syrian province of Aleppo, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced. | Moscow and Ankara are carrying out their first joint military operation against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in the Syrian province of Aleppo, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced. |
| "Today, Russian and Turkish Air Forces are carrying out their first joint operation to target ISIL in the suburbs of the town of al-Bab in the Aleppo province," Sergey Rudskoy, chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff, said at a briefing on Wednesday. | "Today, Russian and Turkish Air Forces are carrying out their first joint operation to target ISIL in the suburbs of the town of al-Bab in the Aleppo province," Sergey Rudskoy, chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff, said at a briefing on Wednesday. |
| Based on the initial results, the joint effort has proved successful, the Defense Ministry official added. | Based on the initial results, the joint effort has proved successful, the Defense Ministry official added. |
| At the same time, the Russian military is involved in a separate operation against Islamic terrorists in Syria, assisting the Syrian Army in eastern Deir ez-Zor province to fend off the militants' recent large-scale offensive, Rudskoy said. | At the same time, the Russian military is involved in a separate operation against Islamic terrorists in Syria, assisting the Syrian Army in eastern Deir ez-Zor province to fend off the militants' recent large-scale offensive, Rudskoy said. |
| The jihadists there are using their numerical superiority and are constantly attacking Syrian forces that are defending civilians in Deir ez-Zor, according to the military official. If the terrorists manage to capture the city, "a real genocide awaits its citizens," Rudskoy said, adding that "the whole Deir ez-Zor population might be completely exterminated." | The jihadists there are using their numerical superiority and are constantly attacking Syrian forces that are defending civilians in Deir ez-Zor, according to the military official. If the terrorists manage to capture the city, "a real genocide awaits its citizens," Rudskoy said, adding that "the whole Deir ez-Zor population might be completely exterminated." |
| So far, Syrian government forces in the city, supported by the Russian Air Force, have managed to resist the IS assault, he said, describing the situation in Deir ez-Zor as "difficult." | |
| READ MORE: Russia seeks invitation for US to Syria peace talks in Astana, Iran ‘against’ | READ MORE: Russia seeks invitation for US to Syria peace talks in Astana, Iran ‘against’ |
| Islamist militants have come to Palmyra, Deir ez-Zor and al-Bab from Iraq, Rudskoy said at the briefing. | |
| "The actions of the US-led coalition in the Iraqi city of Mosul have generally come down to squeezing major ISIL forces into eastern Syria," the official said, adding that Islamic State has been "almost freely" moving its forces with weapons and explosives to the Syrian provinces. |