Syria: Syrian Army celebrates gains in Hama Governorate under Russian air cover

Jubilant soldiers of the Syrian Arab Army celebrated their seizure of the village of Atshan in the Hama Governorate on Sunday. Atshan and its outskirts were cleared of fighters in an operation carried out with Russian air support, resulting in the destruction of several enemy positions. Troops could be seen showing off loot, including what appeared to be explosives and a blanket adorned with the symbol of Saudi Arabia. Earlier on Sunday, Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed that Russian warplanes had destroyed 63 targets of the so-called Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL) in sixty-four missions carried out over the previous 24 hours. Russia began conducting airstrikes in Syria against what Moscow describes as "terror targets" on September 30.