Russia fires missiles at 'Isis targets' from Caspian Sea

Russia has launched missiles at targets in Syria from warships in the Caspian Sea in the first major combined assault across the air and ground in Moscow's escalating campaign in the war-torn country.

The missiles were aimed at Isis targets, according to the Kremlin.

They were deployed as Russia's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, started a ground offensive in rebel-held areas where jihadists from the so-called Islamic State are thought not to have a presence.

The Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Russian television that 26 missile strikes were launched on Wednesday from four warships, destroying all 11 intended targets, in an attack which adds a new level of complexity and violence to the Syrian conflict.

Launched from the Caspian sea, which lies between countries including Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, the missiles flew approximately 1,400km (900miles), according to a Russian officer.

Shoigu said no strikes were targeted at civilian areas.

Andrei Kartapolov, of the Russian General Staff, later told Russian news agencies that Moscow had attacked using warships in order to cast the “over unpopulated areas”.

Dramatic footage of the missiles being launched and lighting up the night sky were broadcast on Russian television.

A military source quoted by Syrian state television said that Russian ships targeted 11 Isis positions in Raqqa, Aleppo, and Idlib, destroying bomb factories, command posts, weapon supply depots, and "terrorist training centres".