Syrian army jets have carried out at least 25 airstrikes on Islamic State positions in the city of Palmyra, activists say.

At least 26 people died in the bombardment on Friday, including 12 Isis militants, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The bombings were the second wave of regime airstrikes against Isis in as many days. On Thursday, government jets carried out at least 12 strikes on Raqqa, the de facto capital of Isis in northern Syria.

Palmyra, which was listed as a Unesco world heritage site in 1980, was captured by extremists in May. The group has since destroyed some of the city’s most famous antiquities, including the temples of Bel and Baal Shamin.

A separate round of regime airstrikes on Friday against the Isis stronghold of Idlib killed at least 19 people, the observatory said.

Syria’s air force has started using more accurate air and ground weapons supplied by its ally Russia, a source told the Reuters news agency.

The prospect of greater military involvement by Russia has concerned the United States, which is leading a coalition that has been bombing Isis strongholds in both Syria and Iraq.

Washington has rejected suggestions from Moscow of cooperating with the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, in the fight against Islamic State, and has warned Syria not to interfere in its air campaign.

However, the White House did open the door on Thursday to possible tactical discussions with Moscow, and the Pentagon said such talks might be necessary to avoid “miscalculation”.

On Friday, the US secretary of state, John Kerry, said President Barack Obama saw military talks with Russia on Syria as an important next step and hoped they would take place soon.



Obama told reporters: “Our focus remains on destroying Isil and also on a political settlement with respect to Syria, which we believe cannot be achieved with the long-term presence of Assad,” Obama told reporters. “We’re looking for ways in which to find a common ground.”



Kerry said on Saturday, after a meeting in London with his British counterpart, Philip Hammond, that the US would welcome Russian help to fight against Isis. But, he said, “the other part of the equation is Assad and how you resolve the fact that he is a magnet for foreign fighters to come to the region.”

In a separate incident, a rebel coalition known as the Army of Conquest reportedly killed 56 soldiers it had taken prisoner after capturing an air base in Idlib province. The observatory said the prisoners were killed a few days after the Abu al-Duhur base was seized by the coalition of mostly Islamist rebel groups.