Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War

Iran has sent hundreds of troops into northern and central Syria in the first such open deployment in the country's civil war, joining fighters from its Lebanese ally Hezbollah in an offensive against rebels and taking advantage of cover from Russia's air campaign, a regional official and Syrian activists said Oct. 14.

A delegation of Iranian lawmakers arrived in Damascus on Oct. 14 in the build-up to a joint operation against insurgents in northwest Syria, and said U.S.-led efforts to fight rebels had failed. 

Apparently, we are experiencing one of the toughest periods in our history. 

Russia is passing through the straits, rushing to the assistance of its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Its planes are violating Turkish airspace, but Moscow plays the unacquainted. 

We attempt to reproach Moscow by saying, ?Russia would be losing a lot if it loses a friend like Turkey.? 

There are currently eight Russian warships massed off of Syria confronting seven NATO ships, according to Turkish military sources. In a written response to the Hürriyet Daily News, Turkish General Staff sources gave a breakdown of the types of ship in the face-off.

?Have a friend like a Russian, have an enemy like a Russian.? These are the words of a high-level Turkish intelligence analyst who has personally had to deal with the Russians on issues like Chechnya, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK), etc. ?They stick to their word. They don?t talk much, but they definitely do what they say,? he added.

Russia and Syria carried out what appeared to be the first major coordinated assaults on Syrian insurgents on Oct. 7, targeting rebels in the west rather than Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants, a monitor said.

Russia could implement US proposals aiming to coordinate Moscow's strikes in Syria with the Washington-led coalition, a Russian defence ministry spokesman said on Oct. 7. 

Russian jets have bombed sites in the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria, but also in Aleppo, as Syrian state TV reported.

The strikes hit 20 vehicles and three weapons depots in Palmyra which is under the control of ISIS fighters.

Also, in Aleppo, Russian jets reportedly targeted towns 10 miles east of a military airport which is currently besieged by Isis fighters.

Russian military officials were to hold talks with their Israeli counterparts in Tel Aviv on Oct. 6 after the countries' leaders agreed to establish a mechanism to avoid accidental clashes in Syria.

Russia must not escalate tension in Syria after Russian airplanes violated Turkish airspace, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has said, hours before NATO was set to hold a meeting to discuss developments in Syria.