Russia preparing to launch airstrikes in Syria, say US officials

Russia is reportedly preparing to conduct airstrikes in Syria but according to their movements, their targets are not Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), said US officials.

According to CNN, the movements of Russian military suggest that fighting ISIS may not be the country's primary objective even though it has earlier spoken against the terror group.

Russia is also a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and may want to bolster him, while the U.S. has repeatedly called for him to go in order to resolve the five-year civil war.

Syria and Russia have also established a coordination center in the Hamah province, though its purpose remains unclear, officials said.