(CNN) — Syrian state media reported Tuesday that joint Russian and Syrian airstrikes hit ISIS targets in the modern city of Palmyra, adjacent to the ancient ruins. The airstrikes hit “ISIS hideouts,” destroying 20 armored vehicles, three ammunition dumps as well as rocket launch pads, the SANA news agency reported, citing unnamed military sources.
The secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization condemned Tuesday in strong terms the violation of Turkish airspace by Russian planes, as he said a second incursion by Russian planes had been confirmed.
“Russian combat aircraft have violated Turkish airspace,” Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, according to the NATO website. “This is unacceptable.”
Stoltenberg elaborated in a news conference, saying that the incursions had happened more than once.
“It doesn’t look like an accident and we also have seen two of them, two violations of Turkish airspace,” said Stoltenberg. “Intelligence that we have received provides me with reason to say it doesn’t look like an accident.”
The first violation of Turkey’s airspace is reported to have happened on Saturday. The second, officials say, took place on Sunday.
Turkey has been a member of the alliance since 1952, and NATO rules say that an attack on any of the 28 member states should be treated as an attack on them all.
Stoltenberg also said he doubted that Russia, in its airstrikes in Syria, was concerned primarily with fighting the terrorist group ISIS, also known as ISIL.
“I’m also concerned that Russia is not targeting ISIL, but instead attacking the Syrian opposition and civilians,” he said.
“I discussed the situation in Syria with (Russian) Foreign Minister (Sergey) Lavrov in New York last week. I urge Russia to play a constructive and cooperative role in the fight against ISIL. And to strive for a negotiated political solution to the conflict in Syria,” he said.
Obama authorizes resupply of Kurds and Arab-Syrian opposition
On Monday, President Barack Obama authorized the resupply of Syrian Kurds and the Arab-Syrian opposition as part of a strategy to put pressure on ISIS from the north and strengthen the border, according to two senior administration officials.
The approval came at a National Security Council meeting on Thursday.
CNN reported over the weekend that the President also emphasized to his team that the United States would continue to support the Syrian opposition as Russia enters the war-torn country.
“President Obama was clear that we intend to continue our efforts to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL in Syria and to keep supporting the moderate Syrian opposition,” the official said.
Russia’s aims questioned
While Russia has said that it is conducting military operations to wipe out ISIS, U.S. officials have questioned that aim given that many of its airstrikes have not targeted places ISIS is active. Instead, they have seen the effort mostly as a move to bolster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a close Moscow ally.
The latest U.S. assessment of Moscow’s activity in western Syria indicates Russia has moved several ground combat weapons and troops into the area to potentially back up Syrian forces in the field planning to attack anti-regime forces, according to two U.S. defense officials.
The U.S. views the move as Russia “stepping up its ground activity” in Syria to attack those forces, rather than ISIS elements, according to one of the officials.
It’s believed the Russians are positioning the weapons to be able to support a Syrian ground offensive, the officials said.
The equipment includes several piece of artillery, as well as four BM-30 multiple-launch rocket systems — all considered to be highly accurate weapons. The latter is capable of rapid-fire rocket launches.
Russia — the ability to jam electronics of coalition aircraft?
Several weeks ago, Russia moved about half a dozen artillery pieces into Latakia port.
The United States originally had thought that might be for defense of the port, but the latest move is an indication of potential ground attacks in the coming days, the official said.
The weapons have been spotted between Homs and Idlib and west of Idlib.
It is not clear if they’re now in final position for possible artillery strikes.
The officials also said that Russia has moved electronic jamming equipment into Syria. Both a truck-mounted system and a number of pods that can go on aircraft have been observed. This could potentially give the Russians the ability to jam electronics of coalition aircraft.
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