The Russian submarine that carried out strikes against IS in Syria returns to Russia. (Source: Ruptly)

In the war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, Russia had flexed its military might last week as it launched strikes in Iraq and Syria for the first time from a submarine stationed in the Mediterranean.

This video shows Russia’s naval troops arriving back in Novorossiysk, Russia after successfully hitting so-called Islamic state positions in Syrian province of Raqqa. People are seen cheering the naval troops as they make their way into the country. Made in Rostov-on-Don, the submarine was on a mission in the international waters to repel the threat posed by Islamic State militants and rebels in Iraq and Syria.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said last week that Russia’s strikes reportedly hit “300 targets of different kinds” and helped Syrian special forces recover the black box of the Russian warplane downed by Turkey last month. “We used Calibre cruise missiles from the (Kilo-class) Rostov-on-Don submarine from the Mediterranean Sea,” Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during an encounter broadcast on state television.

This video shows Russia firing missiles from submarine at IS in Syria

“As a result of the successful launches by the aviation and submarine fleet, all targets were destroyed,” Shoigu said, adding that oil infrastructure, ammunition depots and a mine-making factory had been hit in the strikes.

On September 30, Russia launched a bombing campaign in Syria saying it needed to target Islamic State militants — but the West has accused Moscow of seeking to prop up Assad’s regime and hitting moderate rebels.

Link – Indian Express