International security

World War Three could be just 30 SECONDS away as attacks on ISIS stepped up

We could be 30 seconds from the brink of World War Three as international tensions over powder keg Syria threaten to ignite.

As US-led forces announced they had staged 24 attacks on the Islamic State on Saturday, Russia claimed to have hit 55 IS targets – and president Vladimir Putin taunted the West for not getting “results”.

But rebels on the ground claimed Moscow’s airstrikes, combined with ground attacks by forces loyal to Syrian despot Bashar al-Assad , have also targeted rebel groups not associated with ISIS , including US-trained fighters.

And as the airspace over Syria becomes increasingly congested, military commanders fear a clash of warplanes, helicopters, drones, missiles and artillery is increasingly likely – and could have global ramifications.