Syrian rebels say Russia has deployed special forces to Idlib
(WorldNews Turkey)

Four years after Russian warplanes began pummelling opposition groups in Syria, the country´s embattled president Bashar Al Assad is relying on a fresh batch of elite ground troops from Moscow to rout his opponents from their last stronghold, according to senior rebel commanders in northern Idlib province. The Russian special forces are now taking an active role in combat, not just directing fighting from behind front lines and providing sniper or artillery fire, the rebels say. "These special Russian forces are now present in the battlefield. The Russians are intervening directly now," said Naji Mustafa, spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front...