Conflicting reports on Russian missiles aimed at Syria 'landing in Iran'

International media report US officials saying that that four Russian cruise missiles shot at Syrian targets from the Caspian Sea have landed in Iran. They added that it was yet unclear whether the missiles have caused any damage and they have provided no information about where the missiles have actually landed.

According to various sources, on Wednesday, Russia fired 26 missiles at 11 targets in north and north-west Syria, and on Thursday the country reiterated that all the rockets had hit their targets. Russia continues to deny the reports.

Russia's ambassador to Turkey had earlier been summoned three times in response to recent violations of Turkey's airspace. Turkey is a Nato member and Nato has renewed its pledges to defend its allies in view of Russia's escalated presence in Syria.

Meanwhile. Russia's defence ministry says the latest series of air strikes on the country has hit 27 IS targets, while US Secretary of State John Kerry has reportedly told his Russian foreign affairs minister Sergei Lavrov that the countries must hold technical talks to avoid accidents in Syria

The BBC reports that an Iranian news agency reported on Wednesday that an unknown flying object had crashed in the village of Ghozghapan in the Iranian province of West Azerbaijan, said to be under the missiles' flight path. However conflicting reports from another media portal described the reports as "psychological operations by the US against Moscow".

IS militants have seized swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. And according to Syrian army officers, the Russian air strikes have weakend IS, thus enabling the army to attempt to retake various towns.