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Syria Crisis: Russian Missiles 'Crash In Iran'

Russia has rejected US claims that four of its missiles crashed into Iran rather than reaching intended targets in Syria.

Moscow launched the attack from warships stationed in the Caspian Sea.

It said 26 cruise missiles flew 900 miles across Iran and Iraq before hitting Islamic State targets, including plants for making shells and explosives.

But US defence secretary, Ash Carter, has hit back saying that the US had indications that Russian cruise missiles did malfunction.

"This will boomerang in a very direct way on Russian security but it absolutely has the affect of inflaming IS and extremism," he said.

His comments come after an unnamed US government source told Reuters that four missiles had crashed before reaching their targets.

A Russian defence spokesman says that report is not true.

"We do not talk with reference to anonymous sources," Major General Igor Konashenkov is quoted by Interfax as saying.

"We show the launch of our rockets and the targets they struck."

Syria's top general said on Thursday that the missiles hit targets in Raqqa and Aleppo in the north and Idlib province in the northwest.

In a rare televised statement, General Ali Ayoub said Russian strikes provided cover for government forces to launch an offensive against Islamic State fighters and other rebel forces.

US Secretary of State John Kerry directly phoned his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Thursday amid growing tensions between the two countries because of uncoordinated strategies in Syria.

"The Secretary repeated (US) concerns about the preponderance of targets that are being struck by Russian military forces that are not (Islamic State)-related," US department spokesman John Kirby said.

However, he added that "no tactical level decisions" were made during the call.

Russia has faced strong international criticism in recent days following the decision to launch airstrikes in Syria.

The West remains sceptical of Russia's motives, believing the attacks are more designed to support Syrian President Bashar al Assad rather than defeat Islamic State.

The former head of the British Army, Lord Dannatt, told Sky News that it is crucial for the West and Russia to work together on a common strategy for Syria.

"We're quite rightly concerned about Mr Putin's... much more overt, aggressive involvement in the Syrian crisis," he said.

"But what we should be doing - I'm convinced we should be doing this - is setting up some sort of contact group with all interested parties.

"The West has got to engage in a more meaningful way with Russia than we're currently doing."

He has also suggested that given Mr Assad is not a direct threat to the West, the sole focus at this stage should be on Islamic State.

"The key question to ask (is)... do we really want to get rid of President Assad? Or is defeating Islamic State our major objective?”

"As despicable as President Assad's behaviour has been in his country, the bigger evil that we are dealing with and confronting is the challenge to all our security... (is) from Islamic State.

"Deal with that first, deal with President Assad second."

NATO defence ministers met on Thursday to discuss Russia’s military action in Syria, including recent incursions into Turkish airspace.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that member countries were prepared to "defend and protect" allies from any foreign threat.

The UK has decided to deploy British troops in the Baltic to counter "Russian aggression" and demonstrate support for its NATO allies.

Russia said it would respond to the deployment with "parity".