US-backed Syria rebels say Russia raids destroyed arms depots

Russian airstrikes in northern Syria have destroyed the arms depots of a US-backed rebel faction and wounded several of its fighters, the group told AFP on Wednesday. "At 5:30 pm (1430 GMT) on Tuesday, our bases in the western parts of Aleppo province were targeted by Russian airplanes... which completely destroyed our warehouses," said Mustafa Halabi, a spokesman from the Suqur al-Jabal group. "They were storing arms, ammunition and other equipment," he said. "There are several injuries that range from light to moderate," Halabi told AFP via internet from Syria. He said that three air strikes carried out by Russian warplanes destroyed the "main warehouses used by the brigades". Russia began conducting air strikes in Syria a week ago and has insisted it is only targeting the Islamic State jihadist group and other "terrorist" factions. But moderate and Islamist rebels and their international backers accuse Moscow of targeting a range of armed opponents of the regime, not just jihadists. Fighters from Suqur al-Jabal (Falcons of the Mountain) have received training and equipment as part of a $500-million US programme to build up a force to combat IS in Syria. On October 1, the group accused Russia of targeting its bases in Idlib province with "more than 10 missiles". US Senator John McCain also said last week that Russia had attacked a separate group trained by the Central Intelligence Agency.