Russia launches air strikes against Syria rebels hours after Putin wins the all-clear

Russia has carried out its first air strikes in Syria against opponents of president Bashar al-Assad, hours after parliament cleared the way for military action. The strikes were in the area of the city of Homs and American officials say Washington was informed in advance they were about to take place. News of the strikes came after president Vladimir Putin was given permission by parliament to use military force abroad. Mr Putin supports the Assad regime, which is fighting US-supported rebels and Islamic State extremists. Mr Assad’s office welcomed the move, saying he had written to the Russian leader asking for his military support in the crisis.

It is about Syria.

Sergei Ivanov, the head of the Kremlin administration

Permission for military action does not relate to troops on the ground but the use of the air force. The Kremlin said the request was for “the deployment of a military contingent of the Russian Federation” outside the country on the basis of the “universally recognised principles and norms of international law.” Mr Putin and US president Barack Obama clashed earlier this week at the UN on how best to tackle the war in Syria and the threat of Islamic State. The last time the Russian parliament granted Mr Putin the right to deploy troops abroad, a technical requirement under Russian law, Moscow seized Crimea from Ukraine last year.

Politics Putin Syria