Moscow: Russia on Wednesday launched its first airstrike in Syria following a build up of its forces in the embattled country against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad.
According to reports, the strikes came in the rebel-controlled area of Hama province.
Syria’s civil war has raged for four years, with armed groups – some of them Islamist, including the Islamic State (IS) group – fighting to overthrow the government.
Russia is also a close ally of Bashar al-Assad and may want to bolster him, while the U.S. has repeatedly called for him to go in order to resolve the five-year civil war.
The latest developments came amid reports that President Assad had formally requested Russian military support. Reports from Russia say the upper house of the Russian Parliament granted President Vladimir Putin approval to deploy the Russian air force in Syria. (ANI)