Agence France-Presse
Beirut, Nov 21: Russia has bombed the Islamic State group in the heaviest strikes in eastern Syria since the war began, as Moscow’s military manoeuvres in the Mediterranean forced Lebanon to reroute flights.The United Nations meanwhile passed a motion calling for action against IS, a week after 130 people were killed in Paris, sparking international condemnation and fears of similar attacks elsewhere in Europe. Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out at least 70 strikes in eastern Deir Ezzor province yesterday, killing at least 36 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Britain-based group said the raids hit several cities and towns in the province, as well as three oilfields, and were the heaviest bombardment of the region since the conflict began in March 2011. Most of Deir Ezzor province, including large parts of its capital, is held by IS. The regime still holds the military airport and several smaller areas. Russia began its bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad September 30, and pledged to step up the strikes after IS claimed a bombing that brought down a Russian passenger jet over Egypt last month, killing all 224 people on board. Yesterday, Russia said it had fired cruise missiles from warships in the Caspian Sea and claimed to have killed 600 fighters in recent strikes.
‘Foreign’ drone crashes in Iran
Tehran: Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency says a ‘foreign’ reconnaissance drone has crashed in the country’s southwest. Today’s report says the drone crashed on the outskirts of the town of Shush near the border with Iraq the day before, but did not provide further details. It did not say which country the unmanned aircraft belonged to or whether it was shot down.
Russia gives France puppy
Moscow: Russia has offered to send an Alsatian puppy to France in a gesture of solidarity after a police dog was killed during a raid on jihadists linked to the Paris attacks. Russia’s interior minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said he had written to his French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve offering to send a puppy named Dobrynya to replace Diesel, a Belgian Shepherd killed in a huge raid north of Paris last Wednesday.
Paris extends ban on rallies
Paris: Paris has extended a ban on public gatherings introduced after the terror attacks in the French capital until November 30, the start of UN climate talks, the city’s police headquarters said today. In a statement the prefecture recalled the “extreme seriousness” of last week’s attacks, which left 130 eople dead and prompted the government to put in place a three-month state of emergency.
