Moscow, June 4 (IANS) The Russian military command in Syria on Saturday condemned new offensives by the jihadi group Nusra Front against Syrian regime forces in the provinces of Aleppo, Idlib and Latakia.
The jihadis used heavy weapons, including missile launchers, armoured vehicles and mortars, against the positions of the Syrian army and managed to gain control of two small towns in Latakia, Efe news reported.
The spokesperson for the Russian command at the province's Hmeimim base said the terrorists launched two offensives against the positions of government forces in northeast Latakia.
In Aleppo, the Nusra Front attacked neighbourhoods controlled by forces loyal to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and the airport, where fighting has intensified in recent weeks.
Elsewhere, some 1,000 jihadis concentrated in Idlib with batteries of missiles and large-calibre machine guns to launch an attack against the army.
According to the official, the terrorists, of whom 200 combatants have crossed the border from Turkey, also attacked populated areas in the provinces of Damascus, Homs and Hama.
The Russian spokesperson also reported that the Free Syrian Army may coordinate operations with the Islamic State to curb the offensive of Kurdish militias on Aleppo.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently warned that the opposition armed groups, which have not joined the truce, will be legitimate targets for Russian air power irrespective of whether they are included in the international terrorism list.
