Sir Malcolm Rifkind: Putin air strikes 'will inflame Syria'

Vladimir Putin will make the Syrian crisis “infinitely more dangerous” if Russian air strikes hit moderate rebel forces fighting President Bashar al Assad, a former foreign secretary warned today.

Moscow insists Russian jets attacked Islamic State targets yesterday. But Sir Malcolm Rifkind said all the evidence suggested that this was not the case — and that if, as reported, the moderate Syrian opposition had come under fire, it would escalate the civil war.

He urged Mr Putin to ensure future missions are against “unmistakably” Islamic State targets. “If he does so, then he is making a contribution to the international effort to get rid of Isis,” added Sir Malcolm.

“If he continues to target — as he did yesterday apparently — moderate Syrian opposition forces, then he is not only being dishonest, he is actually making what is already a terrible crisis infinitely more dangerous.”

US and Russian defence chiefs are expected to hold urgent talks to co-ordinate air strikes, after Moscow reportedly gave the US military just an hour’s notice of its attacks.

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said there was a need to “establish channels of communication to avoid any unintended incidents”. US secretary of state John Kerry said talks will be held “as soon as possible”, adding: “It’s one thing to be targeting Isil [Islamic State], but the concern, obviously, is this is not what was happening.” France’s defence minister Jean- Yves Le Drian said: “Curiously, they didn’t hit Islamic State. I will let you draw ... conclusions yourselves.”

Syrian opposition activists said Russia bombed areas not controlled by IS in towns including Zafaraneh, Rastan and Talbiseh.