First Major Air and Ground Assault in Syria

Syrian troops backed by Russian airstrikes seized control of a village in central Syria. This comes amid fierce clashes with rebels in the area and is a part of a ground offensive launched earlier this week.

That offensive marked the first major air-and-ground assault since Moscow began its military campaign in the country on Sept. 30.

Russian officials say their airstrikes are targeting mainly Islamic State militants, but most of the strikes are hitting areas where the extremist group is not present.

The fighting is concentrated in Hama and the northern Idlib provinces, where a number of mainstream rebels as well as al-Qaeda's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, are operating.

Syrian troops have faced stiff resistance from the rebels, who have used advanced U.S.-made TOW missiles to attack Syrian tanks and armored vehicles.

The Russian defense ministry said in a statement that Russian planes flew 64 sorties and targeted 54 sites in the past 24 hours, without elaborating. Among the sites attacked, it said, were command outposts in Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, has insisted its airstrikes are targeting the Islamic State group and other terrorists.

But U.S. officials said this week that Russia has directed parts of its air campaign against U.S.-funded groups and other moderate opposition groups in a concerted effort to weaken them.

The BBC reports that Russia has agreed to resume talks with the United Stateson air safety during Syria bombing campaigns. The talks "are likely to take place as soon as this weekend," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said.