Russia: Defence Ministry spokesperson confirms success of airstrikes on ISIS

Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Major-General Igor Konashenkov discussed the ongoing airstrikes against suspected Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) positions in Syria, from Moscow, Friday. "Russia's Su-34, Su-24m and Su-25 jets conducted eighteen combat missions on twelve targets of the terrorist ISIS group during the last twenty-four hours," Konashenkov stated. Discussing the success of the missions, Konashenkov said that "as a result of the direct hits, the command post and communications centre of ISIS armed groups on the territory of Dar-Taaz, the province of Aleppo have been destroyed." The Defence Ministry spokesperson also noted that "as a result of the combat missions near Habit, in the province of Idlib, targets used by militants as a transport hub and a large ammunition depot have been destroyed." Konashenkov went on to criticise the "information provocations" espoused by Western media outlets, saying that they had been prepared long before the operations took place.