Russia is continuing to insist its first day of air strikes in Syria solely targeted Isis as opposition fighters maintain they were hit. Here are the latest updates:
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Vladimir Putin said Wednesday’s bombing constituted pre-emptive strikes against the so-called Islamic State and a video posted online by Russia’s defence ministry claimed to show the destruction of warehouses, weapons and vehicles belonging to the group.
But Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French defence minister, inferred that the intervention was supporting the President’s controversial ally, Bashar al-Assad.
“Curiously, they didn't hit Islamic State. I will let you draw a certain number of conclusions yourselves,” he added.
Ash Carter, the American defence secretary, levelled similar accusations. He said the Russian air force appeared to have targeted areas that were not under Isis control and complained that Moscow did not use formal channels to notify Washington of the strikes.
He said the Russians should not be supporting the Assad government and their military moves are “doomed to fail.”
The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said the government was prepared to welcome Russian military action in Syria as long as it is directed against Isis and al-Qaeda affiliates, but claimed he would have “grave concerns” if it conducted strikes against other groups.
Mr Putin discussed intervention with Barack Obama on Monday as they attended the UN General Assembly in New York, which followed Russia’s transfer of fighter jets and military equipment to Syria.
The leaders agreed on the need to fight Isis but clashed over President Assad after Mr Obama, David Cameron and other global leaders said he must leave to ensure peace in Syria.
Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, dismissed claims that moderate rebel groups fighting the regime had been hit, saying strikes “exclusively” targeted Isis.
“Rumours that the targets of these strikes were not Isis positions were groundless,” he added.
Additional reporting by AP
