IS terrorists may blast mosques in Syria to blame Russia - Defence Ministry

MOSCOW, October 6./TASS/. The Russian Defence Ministry does not rule out that Islamic State terrorists may blast mosques in Palmyra and other settlements in Syria to blame Russian military aircraft, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday. "We don’t rule out that terrorists may be preparing provocations in this and other settlements - to blast mosques and then demonstrate fake photo and video materials with accusations against Russian aircraft on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic," the general said. Earlier on Tuesday, Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov told reporters that Islamic State gunmen were hiding from Russian airstrikes in mosques. He explained that terrorists knew very well that Russia would "on no condition strike at not military targets". On Tuesday, Russian warplanes made some 20 sorties against 12 targets of Islamic State in Syria. Russian aerospace forces launched pinpoint strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria on September 30 with a Syria-based group assembling more than 50 warplanes and helicopters. Air strikes are delivered at military hardware, communications centres, transport vehicles, munitions depots and other infrastructure. Military operations are conducted at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Read more