IS advances near Syria's Aleppo despite Russian strikes

October 10, 2015 01:36

Islamic State militants captured a string of villages near Aleppo today in a lightning attack that brought them closer to the prized city in northern Syria, despite a major increase in Russian airstrikes that Moscow

insists are targeting the extremists.

The surprise advance that brought the IS group to within a few miles of Aleppo was the most significant in months, following what has largely been a summer of stalemate in the war against the extremists.

It comes amid a wave of intense Russian airstrikes that have targeted insurgents fighting to topple President Bashar Assad, and a ground offensive by the Syrian army in the country's central region.

Moscow says it is targeting mainly Islamic State militants, but US officials and Syrian rebels have said the strikes have hit mainstream rebels for the most part and are aimed at shoring up Assad's embattled government and troops.

Many of the rebel groups hit by the Russian strikes are also at war with the IS group.

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