Roundup: Thousands of Syrian rebels flee positions under Russian airstrikes

Thousands of rebels are fleeing their positions toward Turkey and Jordan, as a result of the Russian and Syrian airstrikes, the state-run TV reported Tuesday.

The rebels have suffered "great losses," which led to a "collapse in their morale," as thousands of them fled toward Turkey and Jordan and part of them fled toward Europe, the TV said.

The report collaborated with what a senior military officer told Xinhua on Sunday that "the Russian airstrikes have a tangible efficiency."

"There are information that affirms that there have been direct results to these strikes which were clear with the escape of members of the terrorist groups and there were even division and dispute among the rebels, which came against the backdrop of these strikes."

He said the militants have not only fled their positions to Turkey, but many IS members have fled from al-Raqqa province, which is the de facto capital of the IS, toward the Iraqi territories.

The pro-government al-Watan newspaper also said that the Russian air forces carried tens of strikes against positions of the jihadi groups, forcing over hundreds of IS terrorists to flee their positions.

Meanwhile, the state news agency SANA said the Russian airstrikes targeted Tuesday the IS positions in the countryside of the ancient city of Palmyra, destroying 20 armored vehicles, three weapon depots and three rocket launchers.

The Russian strikes against the IS in Palmyra came just two days after the terror group detonated the ancient Triumphal Arch of that millennia-old oasis city, the latest in a series of bombing the IS has been carrying out against the ancient sites of Palmyra.

SANA said the Russian airstrikes also targeted the IS positions in the areas of Deir Hafer, and the city of Bab in the eastern countryside of the northern province of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city and economic hub.

The state news agency said the Russian air force is carrying out precise airstrikes against the terrorist groups in Syria, using highly-accurate missiles directed by laser.

It said Syrian airstrikes against the militant groups' positions in the countryside of Aleppo on Tuesday killed 180 rebels.

The Russian warplanes started on Wednesday its airstrikes against rebel positions in several Syrian areas, marking the first Russian military involvement in the war on terrorist groups in Syria.

Damascus has confirmed that the Russian air raids came upon the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, according to SANA.

Moscow has recently amplified its assistance to the Syrian military forces, and Russian officials promised more of such aid, including specialists, to Damascus.

Russia says the increase in military supplies aims to combat terrorism in accordance with international law.

The strikes have raised the ire of the Syrian rebels, as several rebel groups called on regional countries to form an alliance against the Russian-led coalition pummeling them, according to a statement released Monday.

In the statement, over 41 rebel groups, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham Movement, deemed the Russian military intervention in Syria as an "occupation," and urged regional countries to form a coalition in order to face the Russian-led coalition which also includes Iran, Iraq and Syria.

The statement reflected the rebel groups' resentment, who are on the receiving end of a strong pounding by Russian airstrikes.

The Syrian wing of the banned Muslim Brotherhood also issued a statement, calling on the Syrians to wage jihad against what they called the "flagrant Russian occupation of Syria."

"We, as the Muslim Brotherhood, affirm that we are in the face of an outright, clear Russian occupation, through the entry of Russian military forces to Syria... We stress that the concept of resisting is a legitimate duty," the statement read. Endit