Syria opposition chief: Russia aims to prolong Assad

Russia's military intervention in Syria is designed to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power and not eliminate the Islamic State group, the head of the country's main opposition group charged Wednesday.

"All of the casualties were civilians. No one from military forces," Khaled Khoja, head of the National Coalition, told AFP in an interview referring to a Russian air strike in the central province of Homs on Wednesday.

"So it was very obvious that the Russian intervention was to support the regime, to support more killings inside Syria, and (it) will create a more chaotic atmosphere."