Russia, Syria reportedly launch coordinated anti-terrorist attacks

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia and the embattled Syrian regime launched coordinated attacks on Islamist factions in numerous towns in Hama and Idlib provinces in western Syria on Wednesday, October 7, with Syrian shelling being conducted in apparent concert with Russian airstrikes, according to an opposition observatory, CNN News reports.

If the report is correct, it would mark a new level of cooperation between Russia and the Syrian government.

But, even as its warplanes conducted fresh strikes, Russia said it was willing to cooperate with the United States in carrying out attacks in Syria, according to CNN.

Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Wednesday his country was prepared to take information and intelligence obtained by the U.S-led coalition against ISIS, and called on all sides to share targeting reconnaissance.

A ministry spokesman, quoted by Russia's TASS news agency, said the ministry responded to a request by the Pentagon. It then "swiftly considered" the U.S. proposals to coordinate.

"We just need to specify some technical details that will be discussed today by representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry and the Pentagon at the expert level," Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov told TASS.