Russia Bombing ISIS Targets in Syria

As American hegemony in the Middle East wanes, Russia rises to fill the power gap. Tuesday saw a series of Russian attacks against ISIS targets in Syria. Russia Today reports:

The Russian jets destroyed an Islamic State army munitions plant outside Damascus as well as two command centers in Deir ez-Zor, according to the ministry’s statement. In the Idlib Governorate, a training camp for IS militants was eliminated, while several IS strongholds came under attack where ammunition depots were blown up.

Russia’s Su-34 fighters attacked an Islamic State stronghold near the Gmam settlement in Latakia, where “militants’ fortifications were completely destroyed,” according to Konashenkov, who also reported “numerous blazes caused by the detonation of ammunition and fuel supplies.”

The attacks are said to have caused “panic” among ISIS operatives. They may also be causing panic among some in the United States who wonder what the new dynamic may portend.