Russian warplanes take off from Iran to target IS in Syria
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian warplanes took off today from a base in Iran to target Islamic State fighters and other militants in Syria, Russia's Defense Ministry said, widening Moscow's bombing campaign in Syria in a major development in the country's civil war.
The long-range bombers took off from near the Iranian city of Hamedan, about 280 kilometers (175 miles) southwest of the Iranian capital, and struck targets in three provinces in northern and eastern Syria.
U.S. officials said Russia had talked about the possibility of flying planes out of Iran since late last year, but Moscow's decision to do so today came as a surprise. They said the setup at the Iranian air base was established very quickly, perhaps overnight. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss diplomacy in public.
Meanwhile, Syrian opposition activists said a wave of airstrikes on rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo killed at least 15 civilians and wounded many others today, but it was not clear whether the strikes were carried out by the Russian or Syrian air force.