Opposition says rebels, civilians hit, not ISIS

MOSCOW— Russia said Wednesday it had begun airstrikes against the Islamic State terrorist group in wartorn Syria, but the Syrian opposition alleged that the raids had hit territory held by other rebel groups and killed civilians.

In Washington, the White House said it was “too early” to say what targets the Russians sought to strike and which targets were hit, but that the Pentagon was looking into the Russian military activities.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said it appeared Russian airstrikes hit areas where there probably were not Islamic State forces. He called Russia’s activity in Syria a “fallacy” that is “doomed to failure,” but said it was still possible for Russia to play a constructive role in ending the fighting. Syrian state media and opposition representatives both reported Russian strikes in areas of central Syria where other rebel forces, including the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda — but not Islamic State — are thought to operate.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Russia and the U.S. will begin military talks “as soon as possible” to de-escalate the situation, after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov late Wednesday in New York. Moscow announced the action within hours of the Russian Parliament unanimously approving President Vladimir Putin’s request to use military force in Syria, after the Syrian government asked for help.

The strikes targeted Islamic State military equipment, weapons stockpiles, communication hubs and means of transportation, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman told the Interfax news agency. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that the Russian strikes hit “Islamic State dens” around the towns of Talbiseh, Rastan and Salamiya north of the central city of Homs.