Russian revenge: "nothing left" of Nawa, Syria
As we reported yesterday, the Russian Airforce has significantly increased its number of bombing raids in Syria, and simultaneously expanded its geographical spread and its target intensity. Debka reports on the fate of one town of 60,000 inhabitants just 15km east of the Israeli border - Nawa. Between Saturday morning and Monday, Nawa ceased to exist. "All that remains are ruins. The streets are full of bodies of people and animals that nobody bothers to remove." Meanwhile the Russian bombardment of Raqqa continues, with claims being made that Russia is using phosphorous bombs - which are notionally banned. Over the weekend Russia made 141 sorties over Syria, hitting 472 ISIS targets, according to RT News (Russian). Oil facilities continue to be a key target.

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Chemical weapons are being used in air strikes against Isis in Raqqa, it has been reported.

Activists on the ground in the Isis stronghold in Syria have reported the use of the banned substance white phosphorus.

Known as WP, use of the highly flammable chemical is accepted under international law in order to light up the battlefield and provide cover for ground troops.

But it is banned for use in densely populated areas or when directly targeted at infantry because it is highly toxic and can burn through skin and bone.

Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, a network of citizen journalists which represents the primary source for information from inside the Isis-held city, said there were reports “that air strikes targeted Raqqa today (Sunday) with phosphorus” munitions.

It is thought to be the first reported use of white phosphorus in air strikes on Raqqa, which has been heavily bombed by the Russian and French air forces in the wake of the Paris attacks.

On 13 November, witnesses in the opposition-controlled city of Idlib in north-western Syria told The Times dozens of civilians had suffered “horrific injuries” following two attacks using WP.

Ahmed, an activist based in Idlib, told the newspaper: “We knew it was phosphorus because the entire sky lit up and when it settled it set everything on fire.”

In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 / 19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria Â© TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps Â© TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis

Russian radio chatter between the pilots and their bases was intercepted by local activists, Ahmed claimed.

He said the two villages targeted were full of civilians, and located at least 40 miles from the nearest militant positions. Video posted online purported to show the attacks.

Despite newfound collaboration between Russia and the West on Syria in the aftermath of the Paris shootings, US officials and experts have accused Vladimir Putin’s forces of lacking the sufficient accuracy and intelligence reports to carry out air strikes without undue danger to civilians.