Iraq's most powerful Iranian-backed Shia militia said on Monday it would welcome Russian air strikes on Islamic State militants in the country, in comments likely to raise American concern over Moscow's growing influence in the Middle East.
"We are looking forward to seeing Russian war planes bombing the positions and headquarters of Daesh [Islamic State] in Iraq and all its joint supply routes with Syria," Muen al-Khadhimi, a senior aide to the leader of the Badr Brigade, told Reuters.
"We will highly welcome such intervention by the Russians to take out Daesh in Iraq."
