Russia yesterday carried out its first air strikes in three Syrian provinces, a Syrian security official said, marking the formal start of Moscow's military intervention in the war-torn country. The air attacks against Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria targeted arms and ammunition caches and transport and communication equipment, Russian defence spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said.But French Defence Minister Jean-Yves le Drian told MPs in Paris that the strikes did not target IS.Security sources said Russian fighter jets hit positions in Hama, Homs and Latakia provinces.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, reported at least 27 civilians had been killed in the air strikes in Homs province.Control of Homs is mostly divided between Syria's regime and IS. The areas that took the brunt of the strikes were mostly controlled by al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front, while those hit in Latakia are held by a coalition known as the Army of Conquest.The areas targeted in Hama include places controlled mostly by IS and moderate rebel groups, as well as those held by al-Nusra and groups that have pledged allegiance to IS.A commander of a rebel group supported by Western opponents of President Bashar al-Assad said eight of his fighters were wounded in Russian air strikes in Hama. "The northern countryside of Hama has no presence of Isis at all and is under the control of the Free Syrian Army," Major Jamil al-Saleh said.Russian President Vladimir Putin had won unanimous approval from legislators to use armed forces in Syria, Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov said yesterday.US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday held talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, who later called for co-ordination in the fight against IS.The US has been closely monitoring Russia's military build-up at an airbase near the city of Latakia, a stronghold of Assad.American officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday the US believes that Russia has deployed an additional four advanced warplanes to the base.One official identified the four aircraft as Sukhoi Su-34 "Fullback" multirole aircraft. They join a growing number of fixed-wing Russian aircraft at the airbase near Latakia.US Defence Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday instructed his staff to open lines of communication with Russia to avoid any clashes between US-led coalition planes and Russian aircraft. ..