[Breaking news update at 9:02 a.m.]
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the “substantial buildup of Russian forces in Syria” includes “ground troops in connection with the air base they have.”
[Previous story published at 7:39 a.m.]
NATO’s secretary general confirmed Tuesday a second incursion by Russian planes into Turkish airspace, condemning the action in strong terms.
“Russian combat aircraft have violated Turkish airspace,” Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, according to NATO’s website. “This is unacceptable.”
Stoltenberg elaborated at a news conference.
“We also have seen two of them, two violations of Turkish airspace,” he said. “Intelligence that we have received provides me with reason to say it doesn’t look like an accident.”
The first violation of Turkey’s airspace is reported to have happened Saturday. The second was Sunday, officials said.
Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952, and alliance rules say that an attack on any of the 28-member states should be treated as an attack on all.
Stoltenberg said he doubted that Russia, which has been making airstrikes in Syria, was interested primarily in fighting the terrorist group ISIS, also known as ISIL.
“I’m also concerned that Russia is not targeting ISIL but instead attacking the Syrian opposition and civilians,” he said.
Turkey and Russia are at odds over the civil war in Syria, with Moscow backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“I discussed the situation in Syria with (Russian) Foreign Minister (Sergey) Lavrov in New York last week. I urge Russia to play a constructive and cooperative role in the fight against ISIL. And to strive for a negotiated political solution to the conflict in Syria,” Stoltenberg said.
Obama authorizes resupply of Kurds and Arab-Syrian opposition
As diplomats talked, the violence in Syria continued unabated.
Syrian state media reported Tuesday that joint Russian and Syrian airstrikes had hit ISIS targets in the modern city of Palmyra, adjacent to its ancient ruins. The airstrikes hit “ISIS hideouts,” destroying 20 armored vehicles, three ammunition dumps as well as rocket launch pads, the SANA news agency reported, citing unnamed military sources.
On Monday, President Barack Obama authorized the resupply of Syrian Kurds and the Arab-Syrian opposition as part of a strategy to put pressure on ISIS from the north and strengthen the border, according to two senior administration officials.
The approval came at a National Security Council meeting Thursday.
CNN reported over the weekend that Obama emphasized to his team that the United States would continue to support the Syrian opposition as Russia enters the war-torn country.
“President Obama was clear that we intend to continue our efforts to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL in Syria and to keep supporting the moderate Syrian opposition,” an official said.
Russia’s aims questioned
Russia has said it is conducting military operations to wipe out ISIS, but U.S. officials have questioned that aim given that many of its airstrikes have not targeted places where the terror group is active. Instead, they have seen the effort mostly as a move to bolster al-Assad, a close ally.
The latest U.S. assessment of Moscow’s activity in western Syria indicates Russia has moved ground combat weapons and troops into the area potentially to back up Syrian forces planning to attack those opposed to the regime, according to two U.S. defense officials.
The United States views the move as Russia “stepping up its ground activity” in Syria to attack those forces, rather than ISIS elements, according to one official.
It’s believed the Russians are positioning the weapons to support a Syrian ground offensive, officials said.
The equipment includes artillery as well as four BM-30 multiple-launch rocket systems — all considered to be highly accurate. The latter is capable of rapid-fire rocket launches.
Officials: Russia moves electronic jamming equipment into Syria
Several weeks ago, Russia moved about half a dozen artillery pieces into the port of Latakia.
The United States originally thought the move might be for defense of the port, but the latest action is an indication of potential ground attacks in the coming days, an official said.
The weapons have been spotted between Homs and Idlib and west of Idlib.
It is not clear if they’re now in final position for possible artillery strikes.
The officials also said that Russia has moved electronic jamming equipment into Syria. Both a truck-mounted system and a number of pods that can go on aircraft have been observed. The equipment could potentially give the Russians the ability to jam electronics of U.S-backed coalition aircraft.