Syria's foreign minister says Russian airstrikes and its new military "steps" in Syria took months of preparations. Walid al-Moallem says in remarks broadcast on Beirut's Al-Mayadeen TV that Russia closely coordinates with the Syrian army over its airstrikes. The full interview with will be aired later Monday. Russia launched its air campaign Wednesday and claims it's targeting ISIS and al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, but at least some of the strikes appear to have hit Western-backed rebel factions. The Russian attacks have largely focused on the northwestern and central provinces - the gateways to the heartland of Syrian President Bashar Assad's power-base in the capital, Damascus, and on the Mediterranean coast. Russian airstrikes Monday reportedly hit in the central province of Homs and Idlib in the northwest.
