Russian warplanes fly from Iran to target Islamic State in Syria

MOSCOW — Russian warplanes took off Tuesday from a base in Iran to attack Islamic State fighters and other militants in Syria, Russia’s Defense Ministry said, widening Moscow’s bombing campaign in Syria in a major development in the country’s civil war.

The long-range bombers took off from near the Iranian city of Hamedan, around 175 miles southwest of the Iranian capital, and struck targets in three provinces in northern and eastern Syria.

[...] Syrian opposition activists said a wave of air strikes on rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo killed at least 15 civilians and wounded many others on Tuesday, but it was not clear whether the strikes were carried out by the Russian or Syrian air force.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the agreement would “allow us to find common ground and start fighting together for bringing peace to that territory,” adding that Russian representatives are “in a very active stage of talks with our American colleagues.”