Russian Airstrikes in Syria: September 30-October 1, 2015

Oct 2, 2015 - Genevieve Casagrande - ISW

Russia conducted a second round of airstrikes in Syria on October 1, targeting rebel-held positions in the provinces of Homs, Idlib, and Aleppo. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has repeatedly claimed that the airstrikes are targeting ISIS positions in these rebel-held areas. However, Russian targets included the training camp of an FSA-affiliated, Western-backed TOW anti-tank missile recipient Liwa Suqour al-Jebel near the town of Maaret al-Nouman in Idlib Province, in addition to other rebel-held targets. The Russian MoD also claimed two airstrikes in Raqqah Province, targeting an ISIS-held training camp and “command post”. These airstrikes are the first Russian strikes confirmed by the Russian MoD that have targeted positions in ISIS-held terrain.

The following graphic depicts ISW’s assessment of Russian airstrike locations based on reports from local Syrian activist networks, Syrian state-run media, and statements by Russian and Western officials.

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