1 October 2015, 12:15 GMT
NEW DELHI (Sputnik) – Russia launched air missions against ISIL on Wednesday, at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"We appreciate the Russian step. It will help our government," Abbas stressed.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its jets had bombed four ISIL targets in Syria overnight, including a car bomb factory north of Homs, one of the militant group's headquarters and arms depot in Idlib, as well as a command post in Hama.
It added that the civilian population had been unharmed because the strikes were conducted strictly outside populated areas and were based on intelligence that had been confirmed by multiple sources.
The Syrian envoy to India compared Russia’s latest airstrikes with the year-long US-led coalition airstrikes on Iraq and Syria.
"Russia knows the ground situation better," Abbas underscored.
The Russian ministry said its Sukhoi Su-24 and Su-25 attack aircraft (NATO reporting names Frogfoot and Fencer) had carried out eight sorties in coordination with the Syrian army.
