[size=8]At least 39 civilians killed in Russian air strikes, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says[/size]
Updated yesterday at 10:07pm

At least 39 civilians, including eight children and eight women, have been killed in Russian air strikes in Syria in the past four days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says.

Strikes ordered by Russia — a staunch ally of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad — have hit several provinces since Wednesday, including Aleppo in the north, Idlib in the north-west and Hama in central Syria.

The Observatory said just 14 fighters had been killed — 12 from the Islamic State (IS) militant group around the eastern city of Raqa, and two from the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman said the figures only included those which had been verified.

Moscow pressed on with its bombing campaign on Saturday, with the defence ministry saying airstrikes had destroyed an IS command post near Raqa as well as an underground bunker.

"Over the past 24 hours SU-34 and SU-24M jets of the Russian airborne formation in Syria made more than 20 sorties over nine Islamic State infrastructure facilities," the defence ministry said.

Mr Abdulrahman also said several Russian strikes hit IS positions west of Raqa overnight and explosions were heard in the city.

Raqa has acted as the extremist group's de facto Syrian "capital" since 2013.

Moscow has come under fire from the United States for allegedly targeting moderate rebel groups in Syria.

US president Barack Obama has warned that Russia's aggressive military campaign in support of Mr Assad is a "recipe for disaster".

He told reporters that Russia "doesn't distinguish between [IS] and a moderate Sunni opposition that wants to see Mr Assad go".

Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan said on Friday Russia's motives were "not trustworthy" in Syria.

A US-led coalition has been bombing IS positions in Syria since September last year.

Russia said its sorties on Friday had hit an IS "command post and communications centre" in Daret Ezza in Aleppo province, as well as bunkers and weapons depots in Maaret al-Numan and Habeet in Idlib province.

Russian raids also hit "an IS command post" in Kafr Zeita in Hama province.

According to the Observatory, IS does not control any of these areas.

Mr Rahman had told news agency AFP that seven civilians, including two children, were killed in Russian air attacks on Idlib province late Thursday.

[size=8]Only 5 per cent of Russian strikes hitting IS: Britain[/size]

Only one in 20 Russian air strikes in Syria are aimed at IS targets, Britain's defence secretary said on Saturday, warning that Vladimir Putin was instead killing civilians to shore up Mr Assad.

In an interview with The Sun newspaper, British defence secretary Michael Fallon said the vast majority of Russian airstrikes were not aimed at the militant group at all.

Who did Russia target in Syria?


Russia's decision to carry out air strikes in Syria has caused concern. What is Moscow trying to achieve?
"Our evidence indicates they are dropping unguided munitions in civilian areas, killing civilians, and they are dropping them against the Free Syrian forces fighting Assad," he said.

"He's shoring up Assad and perpetuating the suffering."

Prime minister David Cameron has said he sees a strong case for conducting British air strikes against IS in Syria, but said he wants to make sure he has enough support in parliament to gain approval.

He lost a parliamentary vote on the use of force in Syria in 2013. Consequently, British bombing so far has only targeted IS in neighbouring Iraq.

Mr Fallon said Mr Putin's actions complicated the situation in Syria, but the British government had made progress in persuading lawmakers from the opposition Labour party to back strikes in Syria. It would be morally wrong not to do so, he said.

"We can't leave it to French, Australian and American aircraft to keep our own British streets safe," he said.

Mr Putin's decision to launch strikes in Syria marks a dramatic escalation of foreign involvement in a civil war more than four years old, where every major country in the region has a stake.

Erdogan urges Putin to change mind over Syria bombing

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday urged Mr Putin to reconsider Moscow's bombing campaign in Syria, accusing the Russian military of turning a blind eye to the killing of dozens of civilians.

Speaking in an interview with Al-Jazeera Arabic, Mr Erdogan expressed anger that whereas Moscow had informed Ankara it would be attacking IS jihadists in Syria, it had in fact targeted moderate Syrian rebels.

"I will definitely speak to Putin ... I will express my sadness over this matter," said Mr Erdogan in a transcript of the interview published by the official Anatolia news agency.

"Since we are two friendly countries, I'll ask them to review the steps they have taken regarding this matter and what they have done."

Mr Erdogan complained that as a state with a 911-kilometre border with Syria and hosting almost 2 million Syrian refugees, it was Turkey who would bear the brunt of Moscow's actions.

He added: "I want to understand why Russia is so interested in Syria."

Russia has just as much right to be in Syria as America does, maybe even more as they were asked to be there by the Syrian Government.

an illegitimate government, a butcherous dictator with no regard for human rights

they're not even targeting ISIS they're making it worse

Putin is showing his hand now as the expansionist we all knew he was

Wow what do you know.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/afghan-hospital-bombing-war-crime-msf-kunduz-151003151257396.html

America bombing hospitals now.

FMD, people are so naive if they think Western intervention is constructive. Can we just fucking leave the Middle East? It's only making it worse for ourselves.

thankfully the US hasnt intervened since 2003

hasn't intervened where ?

thankfully the US hasnt intervened since 2003

Silly comment from you.

Then teachers would go on sprees against shithead students :lol:

-PB

Well that just goes with the idea that more guns is the answer, which it clearly isnt.

Americans are the most brain washed people in the world, right up there with the North Koreans, except the Koreans are alot less harmless.

wait for the report to come out before passing judgement and dont buy into all the Russian propaganda

So I should listen to the American propaganda instead? No thanks

American officials have already come out and said it was an accident regardless of whether it was or not. They have already palmed it off and are waiting for people to forget about it.

at least the Americans have admitted a mistake
what about all the civilians killed by Russia's bombing in Syria this week?

As if they would announce it was done on purpose, of course they are going to say it was a mistake :lol:

And Russia are tens of thousands behind America in the civilians killed in the Middle East tally.

transparency is key here. the Americans have been transparent about their actions.

Bullshit :lol:

How would you know if the Americans are telling the truth

How do you think we found out about it in the first place?

Through Doctors Without Borders who had like 20 of their doctors blown in pieces.

[size=8]America have said it was them. [/size]

The transparency doesn't come from the fact that they admitted if was American air strikes, but whether or not it was an accident or on purpose.

But the fact that it was multiple strikes over the course of an hour makes it harder to claim an accident.