Russian jets bombed 24 targets in Syria Tuesday using coordinates supplied by "opposition representatives" — the first time Moscow has claimed to work with opposition groups since the start of its air offensive.

"The coordinates of all of these targets were given to us by opposition representatives," senior military official Andrei Kartapolov said, without specifying which groups Moscow had cooperated with.

Kartapolov said Moscow's jets hit targets close to Palmyra, Deir Ezzor, Ithriya and eastern Aleppo with assistance from the opposition, destroying "terrorist" command posts, munition stores and anti-aircraft artillery.

Moscow has been bombing targets in Syria since September 30, when it launched an offensive in support of forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad against Islamic State jihadists and other "terrorist" groups.

"Our aim both in Syria and anywhere else is to fight terrorism first of all," Putin said in Moscow on Tuesday.

But the US and its allies, who are involved in a separate air campaign against IS, have accused Moscow of primarily hitting more moderate groups fighting Assad's regime.

Moscow said it had set up "working coordination groups" aimed at bolstering the fight against the IS, but said the identities of those involved were being kept secret.

"Such close cooperation will allow us to unite the efforts of the government troops with other patriotic forces in Syria that used to be in the opposition and act as a united front against the common enemy — international terrorism," the defence ministry said in a statement.

Deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov said the contact with the opposition groups was "useful", both in terms of "fighting terrorism and promoting the political process," speaking to Interfax news agency.

The defence ministry said Tuesday that since the start of the operation it had hit 2,084 targets in 1,631 sorties, including 52 training camps and 287 command posts.

It said it has managed to cause "significant losses to the terrorists" and to "undermine their morale."

Syrian minister rules out transition period
Damascus (AFP) Nov 3, 2015 –

A "transition period" in Syria is out of the question because President Bashar al-Assad is the legitimate leader, the country's deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday.

"There is no transition period. There exist official institutions that are functioning," Faisal Moqdad said on a visit to Tehran, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.

"We are talking about a national dialogue, an enlarged government and a constitutional process, not a transitional period," he added.

Moqdad's comments come after a round of international talks in Vienna last week to discuss a potential end to Syria's four-year conflict.

Neither Syria's regime nor opposition were represented, but countries backing either side were present.

A transitional government has long been discussed as part of a peace process to end Syria's conflict, from as early as 2012, when world powers met in Geneva to discuss the war.

The fate of Assad has been a persistent sticking point in discussions on ending the conflict, however, with the regime and its backers insisting he will not be forced from power.

"President Bashar al-Assad is the legitimate president elected by the Syrian people, and the world must respect that will," Moqdad said on Tuesday.

Syria's opposition and its backers insist Assad can have no role in the country's future.