Russian warplanes strike deep inside Islamic State’s heartland
The actions, quickly criticized by Washington, add an unpredictable element to a multilayered war.
Russia insists, however, that many of its strikes have been against the Islamic State, even though the Islamic State is not present in the other provinces hit by Russian warplanes.
BEIRUT — Russian warplanes have struck targets deep inside the Islamic State’s heartland province of Raqqa for the first time, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday.
The strikes were carried out against an Islamic State training camp and a command post near the city of Raqqa, expanding the scope of a three-day-old air campaign that had previously focused on attacking rebel groups opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
Here's what you need to know about Russia's airstrikes in Syria. The Russian military claims the strikes target the Islamic State, but U.S. officials say it's not helping. (Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)
