After announcing that the Oct. 31 Metrojet crash in the Sinai was caused by a bomb, Russia has begun bombing Islamic State targets in Syria in coordination with France. Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Francois Hollande spoke by phone and agreed to coordinate airstrikes; the two leaders will meet in Moscow later this month. At least 25 long-range bombers took part in the strikes yesterday, as well as cruise missiles. Russian officials notified the United States in advance of the strikes, marking the first time that the United States and Russia have used the deconfliction protocol agreed to in October. Russia claimed it targeted command centers where the Islamic State coordinates operation in Idlib and Aleppo -- regions that were also struck in cruise missile strikes -- though the Islamic State does not operate in these areas.
