Satellite images reveal two possible new Russian bases in Syria
Munks also noted a “substantial increase” in Russian jets on the runway at Latakia airport in satellite imagery from Monday, saying it pointed to a “rapid build-up of Russia’s expeditionary force.”
“With a significantly enhanced ground-attack capability, this represents a substantial step-change in Russia’s combat ability in Syria,” he said.
“Deployed Russian military aircraft now include 4 Su-30SM multirole combat aircraft, 12 Su-25 ground attack aircraft, 12 Su-24M attack fighters, and six possible Ka-52 attack helicopters.”
Assad must be included in talks: Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that President Bashar Assad should be involved in any talks aimed at ending the four-year conflict in Syria.
“We have to speak with many actors, this includes Assad, but others as well. Not only with the United States of America, Russia, but with important regional partners, Iran, and Sunni countries such as Saudi Arabia,” Merkel told a press conference after an EU summit.
Moscow has been an unwavering supporter of Assad in a conflict that has killed more than 240,000 since March 2011.
Russian drones deployed
The Syrian military for the first time on Wednesday deployed drones supplied by Russia for its fight against jihadists, a security source in Damascus said.
“For the first time, the army today used drones received from Moscow in operations against extremists in the north and east of the country,” the source said, without elaborating on the type of drones or locating exactly where they were deployed.
The deployment came amid a Russian military build-up in Syria, over which the United States has expressed deep concern.
It also comes a day after a senior military official said Damascus had received new weaponry from Russia, including at least five fighter jets.
“Russian weapons are starting to have an effect in Syria,” the official told AFP.
The official added that President Bashar al-Assad’s forces had already been using these weapons against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group in the cities of Deir Ezzor and Raqa, the ISIS de facto “capital” in Syria.
Assad’s forces have stepped up air strikes in the past week, killing at least 38 IS jihadists in central Syria, especially Palmyra, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
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