Ground push by Syria troops amid Russia missile strikes

DAMASCUS: Russian warships in the Caspian Sea fired cruise missiles as Syrian government troops launched a ground offensive Wednesday in central Syria, in the first major combined air-and-ground assault since Moscow began its military campaign in the country last week.
The missiles, launched from a Russian flotilla in the Caspian Sea, traveled 1,400 km over “unpopulated areas” to target militants, according to a Russian officer.
The latest developments — exactly a week after Russia began launching airstrikes in Syria — add a new layer to the fray in the complex war that has torn this Mideast country apart since 2011.
Moscow has mainly targeted central and northwestern Syria, strategic regions that are the gateway to President Bashar Assad’s strongholds in Damascus, and along the Mediterranean coast. But the strikes appear to have given Assad new confidence to try to retake some lost ground.
According to the Syrian official, the government push is concentrated in the adjacent provinces of Hama and Idlib where rebels have been advancing in the past months. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Daesh is not present in the areas where the fighting is underway.
Wednesday’s offensive in central Syria and the ensuing clashes with militants, including Al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, was the first major ground fighting since Moscow began launching air raids in Syria last week.
The Russian airstrikes appear to have emboldened Syrian troops to launch the ground push after suffering a string of setbacks in northwestern Syria over the past few months.
In Moscow, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia is using warships in the Caspian Sea to target the Daesh in Syria.