Syria crisis: Thousands of Iranian troops amass for all-out assault on Aleppo

[Dexter]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/thousands-of-iranian-troops-amass-for-all-out-assault-on-syrian-city-of-aleppo-a6693501.html

Thousands of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria in recent days, as forces loyal to President Assad prepare a major assault on rebel-held territory in Aleppo. The Syrian government, bolstered by the new arrivals and two weeks of intense Russian airstrikes on rebel positions, is determined to win back territory around the country’s biggest city, and once its commercial hub.

[Right_in_Virginia]

With Russian and American bombers both targeting Isis strongholds, the lack of communication between the two sides risks a mid-air collision or contact between the two sets of aircraft. There has already been what was described as a “near miss” between aircraft from the two countries.

A US Defence Department spokesman told reporters that combat aircraft from both sides came within visual contact of each other on Saturday, meaning that they were less than 20 miles apart. Despite the increasingly bitter words between the two countries, a third round of video conferences on air safety over Syria is now planned.

What could go wrong?