Russian troops arrive in Syria to help Bashar Assad

Russian troops have arrived in Syria in recent days to aid Bashar Assad’s beleaguered government in the battle against Islamic State militants, Israel’s defence minister said.

The development could help the Syrian president reverse his recent battlefield losses in the country’s bitter civil war, now in its fifth year.

Moshe Yaalon said the Russians had dispatched military advisers as well as an active force, with the main goal of setting up an air base.