Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War

Russia on Oct.1 rejected accusations that Moscow had bombed moderate rebel factions fighting President Bashar al-Assad instead of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters and had hit civilians.

Russia conducted its first airstrikes in Syria, claiming to target ISIS. 20 missions were carried out on Wednesday. US officials have expressed serious doubt as to the real motives behind the strikes.

Russia and United States agreed Sept.30 to call urgent military talks to head off the risk of clashes between their forces, after Moscow's dramatic entrance into the Syrian war.

Russia and the US will hold talks "as soon as possible" in order to avoid clashing in Syria after Moscow launched airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) targets on Wednesday.

This became clear after a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry.

Republican US presidential front-runner Donald Trump said on Sept.30 that he would send thousands of Syrian refugees back to their home country if he is elected in November.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must leave his post as part of an "orderly transition," not immediately, marking a change in the U.S. position.

Russian warplanes have launched their first strikes on Syrian opposition targets, Fox News and Reuters reported on Wednesday.

The airstrikes, carried out by a "couple" of Russian bombers, were launched at targets near the city of Homs, located about 100 km east of a Russian naval base in Tartus, according to a senior US military official, Fox News said.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has outlined a prospective foreign policy that would engage both "the Syrian administration" and "the Syrian opposition" in a departure from the Turkish government's current course.

"We will not take sides in the ongoing war in Syria," the CHP said in its election manifesto, which was announced by leader Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu on Sept. 30.

Russia has carried out its first air strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, U.S. officials said Russian warplanes targeted opponents of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in the area around the city of Homs, and that Washington was informed in advance that this would happen.

The Russian parliament on Sept.30 unanimously granted President Vladimir Putin the right to deploy the country's military in Syria, a move a top Kremlin aide said related only to the air force.