Syria: Russian Tu-22M3 bombers deployed to intensify air campaign

Russia's air campaign against the so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) was intensified as Tu-22M3 long-range bombers carried out multiple air strikes in Syria, Wednesday, dropping OFAB-250-270 bombs on militant targets. Efforts to intensify the air campaign against Syrian militants comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russian forces in Syria will coordinate with the French navy in the Mediterranean. A fleet deployment of Tu-22M3 Russian fighter jets set off from the Hmeymim airbase in Latakia and conducted a virulent bombardment on multiple militant strongholds. Putin and French President Francois Hollande reportedly agreed to the terms of a joint mission in the conflict-stricken country during a phone call, with the two leaders set to meet in Moscow on November 26 to discuss further cooperation. Following last Friday's attacks in the French capital, Paris has launched intensified airstrikes in Syria, specifically in the city of Raqqa, which is an IS stronghold.