Free Republic

The Russian military has launched cruise missiles against Islamic State positions in Syria from both the Mediterranean and Caspian seas, one of which killed over 600 terrorists in the Deir Ex-Zor Province, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has said. “On November 20, the warships of the Caspian Fleet launched 18 cruise missiles at seven targets in the provinces of Raqqa, Idlib and Aleppo. All targets were hit successfully,” he reported to President Vladimir Putin. Overall, there are 10 warships taking part in the operation, six of which are in the Mediterranean. Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) have been suffering huge...

The thing about ragtag groups of militants that display a penchant for extreme violence is that in the absence of serious opposition, they can rack up gains at an alarming pace. Of course there are plenty of (possibly credible) theories out there, which suggest that some of what you see in the videos released by ISIS is for show and we won’t endeavor to assess the degree to which the group’s brutality is real versus staged, but one thing is clear: regardless of who is funding, training, and/or supporting them, there are obviously fighters on the ground in the Mid-East...

The leader of al-Qaeda linked group al-Nusra Front is encouraging jihadists in the Caucasus to attack Russia. His call follows similar condemnation of Russia from rival jihadi group the Islamic State (ISIS) and a number of Saudi clerics. “If the Russian army kills the people of Syria, then kill their people. And if they kill our soldiers, then kill their soldiers. An eye for an eye,” declared Abu Mohamed al-Jolani. Russia began airstrikes on September 30. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN Security Council the government received a request from Assad to strike the rebels. Russia has stated...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday Moscow was helping the fight against Islamist insurgents in Iraq with the consent of the Baghdad government. "It is necessary to support the cooperation between the Iraqi government and the Iraqi Kurdistan in the fight against terrorism, but we are doing it with the consent of the government," he said. Lavrov, speaking at the Barents Euro-Arctic Council in Oulu, Finland, also said a new intelligence center in Baghdad currently staffed by Russian, Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian officials remained open to all interested parties. "These events show that all those who oppose terrorism...

Russian fighter jets have attacked 10 Islamic State targets in Syria in their latest airstrikes, destroying arms depots, training centers and infrastructure, Defense Ministry says. In the last 24 hours, Russian military aircraft have performed 20 sorties.

<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leading Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday said he supported Russian efforts to fight Islamic State militants in the Middle East, including Syria.</p>

Moscow, April 22, Interfax - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he sees the Islamic State terror group (ISIS) as the main enemy of Russia now. "I believe that ISIS is our main enemy now," he said in an interview with three radio stations on Wednesday, commenting on the fact that "hundreds of Russian citizens, hundreds of Europeans and hundreds of Americans are fighting on the side of the ISIS."