Russian and Iranian offensive allow Isil to 'seize more territory'

The new offensive by Russia and Iran against the Syrian city of Aleppo may create an opening for Isil terrorists to seize more territory, Western diplomatic sources have warned.

In the third week of their operation in Syria, the Kremlin's warplanes are now using their firepower to support a ground operation led by Iranian forces. The aim of this assault is to allow Bashar al-Assad's regime to retake Aleppo, once the country's most populous city.

Iran is believed to have deployed about 2,000 fighters to lead this effort, drawn from the Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hizbollah, the radical Shia movement. Most of the fighting is taking place south of the city as the pro-Assad coalition tries to secure the approach to Aleppo along the M5 highway, which runs south to Damascus.

Three villages fell into the hands of regime forces and their allies on Saturday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based group. A second prong of the offensive was also taking place east of Aleppo, apparently designed to relieve a military air base from a rebel siege.

But Western officials worry about the possible consequences. Most of the areas targeted by Russian bombs and Iranian ground forces - including much of Aleppo itself - are not held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). The whole thrust of the Russian and Iranian campaign is against other rebel movements, not Isil.

Yet the insurgents who are bearing the brunt of the offensive are also bitter enemies of Isil. If they suffer heavy blows at the hands of Russia and Iran, Isil may be given an opportunity to capture still more ground, particularly in the contested area north of Aleppo.

“We’re very concerned that Russian-supported offensives targeting the moderate opposition are weakening them across the board – and Isil will take advantage of that to seize more territory,” said a Western diplomatic source.

From the beginning of Russia's intervention in Syria on Sept 30, Western governments have noted how Isil appeared to be bottom of the Kremlin's target list. Although President Vladimir Putin claimed that destroying Isil was the sole aim of his intervention, about 85 per cent of the Kremlin’s air strikes have targeted other rebel movements, according to the Foreign Office.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11937967/Russian-and-Iranian-offensive-may-allow-Isil-to-seize-more-territory-in-Syria.html