DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian government troops launched a ground offensive Wednesday in the country's central region under cover of Russian airstrikes, a Damascus official said. And in the first salvo from the sea, Russian warships fired missiles into Syria, with Moscow saying they were targeting militants.
The latest developments — exactly a week after Russia began launching airstrikes in Syria — add a new layer to the fray in the complex war that has torn this Mideast country apart since 2011.
Moscow has mainly targeted central and northwestern Syria, strategic regions that are the gateway to President Bashar Assad's strongholds in Damascus, and along the Mediterranean coast. But the strikes appear to have given Assad new confidence to try to retake some lost ground.
According to the Syrian official, the government push is concentrated in the adjacent provinces of Hama and Idlib where rebels have been advancing in the past months. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
The Islamic State group is not present in the areas where the fighting is underway.
Wednesday's offensive in central Syria and the ensuing clashes with militants, including al-Qaida's Syrian branch, was the first major ground fighting since Moscow began launching air raids in Syria last week.