Russian Defense Ministry official Sergei Rudskoi has said that Russian air strikes have inflicted heavy losses on "terrorists" in Syria both in terms of manpower and equipment, RIA Novosti is reporting.
Rudskoi said that the Russian air strikes are allowing the Syrian army and the "patriotic opposition" to continue with operations despite difficult weather conditions caused by heavy rains and low temperatures.
Russian Defense Ministry official Sergei Rudskoi says that in the first ten days of 2016, Russia has carried out 311 sorties and hit 1,097 oil infrastructure, refining and production targets, military equipment and militants in Syria.
The sorties hit targets in Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Deir al-Zor, Hasakah, Raqqa and Dara'a provinces, according to Rudskoi.
Russian Defense Ministry official Sergei Rudskoi has said that militants are being supplied with weapons and equipment from Turkey and that new recruits are regularly transferring across from Turkey to the northeastern part of Syria's Latakia province.
Speaking on the Rossiya 24 channel today, Rudskoi said that Syrian government forces had succeeded in inflicting losses on militants in Latakia province.
Turkey has accused Russia of targeting ethnic Turkoman militants in Latakia. Russian speaking militants from the North Caucasus are also based in the province near the border with Turkey.
Here is Russia's Defense Ministry's tweet saying that Russian air strikes hit 1,097 "terrorist" targets since the start of 2016 and including a photo of ministry official Sergei Rudskoi.
AFP has posted this video showing the aftermath of Syrian government strikes yesterday on rebel-held Douma near Damascus.
The 23-second video includes scenes from inside a field hospital where the injured, including children, are being treated.
Russia, the United States and the UN are scheduled to meet in Geneva on January 13 to discuss Syria, a diplomatic source has told the TASS news agency.
Russia's Defense Ministry says that the security zone around the Kweiris military air base in Syria's Aleppo province is expanding and the Syrian army has moved five km north in the past few days.
The Syrian army, backed by Russian air support and Iranian fighters, retook the Kweiris air base in November, breaking a two-year siege, most recently by the IS group.
From our news desk:
Suspected Russian Air Strike Hits Syrian School
Asuspected Russian air strike has struck a school in northern Syria, killing at least 12 children.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on January 11 that the air strike on the town of Ain Jara, in rebel-controlled Aleppo Province, also killed three teachers and wounded 20 others.
The monitoring group said Aleppo had been the scene of air strikes and heavy clashes between government and rebel forces since January 10.
Russia, a staunch ally of Syria President Bashar al-Assad's regime, has been conducting air strikes in support of the central government since September.
The monitoring group said in late December that Russian air strikes had killed more than 2,300 people since they began on September 30, among them 792 civilians.
Moscow has denied its strikes have killed civilians.
France Calls For Civilian Relief
Earlier, France called on the Syrian government and Russia to stop military operations against civilians, just two weeks before peace talks are scheduled.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius singled out the situation in the city of Madaya, besieged by government forces, where aid groups say residents are dying of starvation.
Fabius said France would consult the UN Security Council to press Syria to end what he described as "inadmissible" attacks.
"We discussed the absolute necessity that Syria and Russia end their military operations against civilians," Fabius told reporters in Paris.
Russia, which has been conducting air strikes in Syria since September, denies targeting civilians.
Aid convoys were due to enter Madaya and the cities of Al-Foua and Kefraya in Idlib Province on January 11.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Residents in Madaya have gathered to wait for the humanitarian convoy, which has reached the edge of the town.