Russia starts air strikes in Syria, tells U.S. to steer clear

(Reuters) Russia launched air strikes against targets in Syria on Wednesday in the Kremlin's biggest intervention in the Middle East in decades, telling the U.S. air force to steer clear while its warplanes were in action.

Moscow's assertion that it had attacked Islamic State was immediately challenged by Washington and by rebel sources in Syria.

A U.S. official said Moscow gave Washington just an hour's notice of the strikes, which the Kremlin said were designed to help President Bashar al-Assad, its closest regional ally, push back Islamist militants.

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