Warplanes Kill Dozens Of ISIL Fighters In Central Syria

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At least 38 fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) group have been killed over the last 24 hours as Syrian government warplanes bombarded the group’s strongholds in central Syria, a monitoring group said. Monday’s strikes hit Palmyra and two other towns in Homs province, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ director Rami Abdelrahman said on Tuesday. Aljazeera reports:

The Syrian air force has been increasing its strikes against ISIL in recent days as it received reinforcements from Russia, he said.

“The number of raids is growing and the strikes are more precise after the Syrian air force received arms and more efficient planes from Moscow,” said Abdelrahman, whose UK-based group relies on broad network of civilian, military and medical sources inside Syria.

Meanwhile, satellite photos taken in mid-September and obtained by IHS Jane’s show Russian forces developing two additional military facilities near Syria’s Mediterranean coast, Rob Munks, editor of IHS Jane’s Intelligence Review, said on Tuesday.

Musk said the previously undisclosed work was taking place at a weapons storage facility and military base north of Latakia, suggesting Russia is preparing to deploy troops to both locations.