AFP/Russian Defence Ministry Jihadis have been cowering in mosques from Russian airstrikes

FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Trembling jihadis have taken to cowering behind praying families after Russian airstrikes obliterated dozens of their outposts leaving scores dead. Drone footage has emerged showing ISIS fighters parking up military vehicles outside a mosque in Syria, where they know they cannot be attacked without huge civilian casualties.

Military officials also warned that the desperate fanatics could resort to committing terrorist atrocities - including bombing mosques - which they can blame on Russian jets to help whip up support for their ailing cause. Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: "Moderate rebels would not hide behind civilians as human shields or, moreover, concentrate armoured vehicles under the arches of religious institutions. "All of these actions can only be the calling card of terrorists."

REUTERS ISIS fighters are now hiding from Russian jets in mosques

REUTERS Russia is building up a huge military presence in Syria

The revelations are just the latest example of how Putin has now got ISIS on the run, and comes after he dispatched his most lethal special forces killers to hunt down hiding jihadis. Russia has carried out more than 50 airstrikes against ISIS in recent days, obliterating targets including a key command centre and a suicide belt factory. At a military briefing Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told reporters that the jihadis are going to increasingly desperate lengths to avoid his country's bombing campaign.

These actions can only be the calling card of terrorists Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov

He said: "Knowing our careful, respectful attitude to mosques they understand that we would never - under any circumstances – carry out airstrikes against civilian facilities." The senior politician emphasised that the Russian air force uses data from air surveillance and satellite images, not just Bashar al-Assad's Syrian army, to confirm targets before carrying out strikes. He said: “We check the data a hundred times. Our decisions are well balanced, deliberate and calculated. We carry out airstrikes only if we are 100 percent sure that we are hitting the right target."

REUTERS A technician fits a rocket to a Russian helicopter

REUTERS Russian bombs have destroyed dozens of ISIS targets

And he revealed that Moscow is close to agreeing a deal with the Pentagon on the coordination of Russian and American airstrikes in Syria to avoid the potentially catastrophic consequences of a military misunderstanding. It is believed that ISIS has already suffered crushing losses due to airstrikes and defections, with a leading terror expert telling Express.co.uk that they are now so weakened they could be defeated in a matter of hours.

Russian Defence Ministry Footage has emerged showing ISIS parking their vehicles near a mosque

Russian Defence Ministry ISIS have been using the mosque to shield their vehicles, at the top of the picture, from bombing

Russia has launched an aerial blitz in Syria which it claims is targeting ISIS militants. However, Western nations including the UK and US say their intelligence suggests most Russian airstrikes are actually hitting moderate rebels including the Free Syrian Army. Putin is also preparing to dispatch 150,000 troops to the war-torn nation as part of a desperate bid to shore up the rule of brutal dictator al-Assad, a long time ally whose power is threatened by rebel pro-democracy groups.