Beirut, Nov 21 (AFP): Russia has bombed the Islamic State group in the heaviest strikes in eastern Syria since the war began, as Moscow's military manoeuvres in the Mediterranean forced Lebanon to reroute flights.
The United Nations meanwhile passed a motion calling for action against IS, a week after 130 people were killed in Paris, sparking international condemnation and fears of similar attacks elsewhere in Europe.
Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out at least 70 strikes in eastern Deir Ezzor province yesterday, killing at least 36 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Britain-based group said the raids hit several cities and towns in the province, as well as three oilfields, and were the heaviest bombardment of the region since the conflict began in March 2011.
Most of Deir Ezzor province, including large parts of its capital, is held by IS. The regime still holds the military airport and several smaller areas.
Russia began its bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad on September 30, and pledged to step up the strikes after IS claimed a bombing that brought down a Russian passenger jet over Egypt last month, killing all 224 people on board.
Yesterday, Russia said it had fired cruise missiles from warships in the Caspian Sea and claimed to have killed 600 fighters in recent strikes. According to the Observatory, Russia's strikes have killed more than 1,300 people since they began, a third of them civilians.
The group says 381 IS fighters have been killed in the strikes, along with 547 rebels from other groups including Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front. It said 403 civilians had been killed, including 97 children.
Russia's military involvement in Syria has stirred tensions with Turkey, which backs the uprising against Assad and has accused Moscow of failing to respect its border and airspace in the campaign.
And today, flights in and out of Lebanon were being forced to take longer routes, with some airlines cancelling services, after Moscow requested flights avoid a portion of airspace over the Mediterranean, a Lebanese minister said.
Lebanese Transport Minister Ghazi Zeaiter said Moscow requested "that planes leaving Beirut airport towards the west avoid overflying an area in Mediterranean territorial waters because of manoeuvres on Saturday, Sunday and Monday."