Report: Putin Conscripting 150,000 New Troops

Russian President Vladimir Putin has conscripted 150,000 new military recruits just as he is launching airstrikes in Syria, the Daily Mail reports.

Russia began airstrikes on Wednesday, saying it was attacking only Islamic State (ISIS) targets, though the United States said the targets were nowhere near ISIS locations, and instead hit the Free Syrian Army, which is allied with the United States against both ISIS and the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia is working alongside Assad's government, which it says picked the targets. Syria is engaged in a three-way civil war between Assad, the Free Syrian Army and ISIS.

Russia and the United States both oppose ISIS, but side with different factions in the war otherwise, marking the first time since the Cold War the two major powers have been on opposing sides in a Middle East conflict.

The two are holding talks in an effort to avoid unintended conflict with each other.

Meanwhile Russian jets attacked targets again on Thursday, this time near the cities of Hama and Homs.

The timing of Putin's draft order on Thursday was questioned by critics in the West, but was a normal order he signs every fall and not related to the actions in Syria a spokesman for Putin said.

"This is a regular document which the president signs twice a year," Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik News.

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