Russia targets US-trained rebels in bid to bolster Syria´s al-Assad
Russia stepped up its air strikes in Syria on Thursday as hundreds of Iranian troops arrived in the country, in what was seen as an attempt to bolster Damascus ahead of any negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.
Among other targets, Moscow hit a camp run by Central Intelligence Agency-trained rebels located far from positions held by Islamic State terrorists.
Vladimir Putin was thought to be trying to bolster Syria´s beleaguered president Bashar al-Assad.
The US and its allies in the region and in Europe had until recently been unanimous in calling for al-Assad to step down as part of any political solution.
Syria has been a client state of Russia since the days of the Cold War.
On Monday, US president Barack Obama said he would be prepared to accept a “managed transition” where Bashar al-Assad did not have to step down immediately.
In parallel, two Lebanese sources told Reuters that hundreds of regular Iranian troops had arrived in country with weapons ahead of a major ground offensive.
In remarks to the Financial Times Mark Galleoti, an expert on the Russian military, drew parallels between Russia´s current diplomatic manouvering and actions on the ground in Syria and in the run-up to the Ukraine conflict.
“Let´s be blunt: this is lying. They have always been a propaganda state, but by now, we are looking at a methodical approach where disinformation and surprise have become deeply rooted at the operational level,” Galleoti said.
In reaction to the most recent events Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reportedly said the aim was to help the Syrian armed forces “in their weak spots”.
Recent events may also cast cloud over attempts to broker a solution to the crisis in Ukraine, the FT said.