Russian Planes Wipe Out 1,250 Daesh Targets in Syria

Russian warplanes reportedly destroyed more than 1,250 assets belonging to Daesh militants during a week of military operations in Syria.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A Russian newspaper affiliated with the Defense Ministry reported Friday that Russian warplanes destroyed over 1,250 assets belonging to Daesh militants during a week of military operations in Syria.

The planes made over 500 sorties to find and engage targets of the Daesh terror group (IS), an infographic published in the Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper has revealed.

During the same period, Russian spy drones flew more than 300 reconnaissance missions, detecting 432 Daesh targets. Russian bomb squads on the ground have found and detonated some 45,000 explosive devices.

Pentagon earlier rejected Russia's proposal to conduct joint actions against Daesh in Syria saying that the targeting process of the US-led coalition against the terrorist group is independent of third party input.    

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition factions and Islamic extremist groups. The international community has taken a number of steps aimed at settlement of the crisis, including via different formats of talks, in particular, in Geneva and Astana.

Russia launched its military operation in the Arab country on September 30, 2015, at the request of the Syrian government.