File image.
A series of blasts rocked the port city of Tartus and the town of Jableh to the north along the Syrian coast on March 28 as air defenses intercepted drones that approached Russian bases located there.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that at least one drone was shot down right to the north of the port of Tartus, which hosts a Russian naval base. Another drone was fired at near the Russian Khmeimim Air Base close to Jableh, according to the London-based monitoring group.
Photos posted to social networks showed the remains of anti-aircraft missiles associated with the Pantsir-S short-range air defense system. Several such systems are deployed in both Tartus naval base and Khmeimim Air Base.
Click to see full-size image.
Click to see full-size image.
It is unclear yet if the drones were on their way to attack the bases, or if they were downed after being deemed a possible threat to Russian forces deployed there.
The incident came amid high tensions on the Syrian coast. Earlier this month, the Syrian interim government, which is led by Islamists, unleashed a deadly crackdown on the coast. More than 1,600 civilians, mainly Alawites and Chirstans, were killed and tens of thousands others were displaced, with nearly 10,000 taking refuge at Khmeimim Air Base.
This was the second time such interceptions were reported since the wave of killings, which began on March 6 and lasted for around a week. On March 16, a drone was reportedly shot down by Russian air defense over Tartus port.
After the fall of the Assad regime last December, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, SVR, warned after that the United States and British intelligence services were preparing “terrorist acts” against Russian bases in Syria.
“British intelligence services are developing plans to organise a series of terrorist attacks on Russian military facilities in Syria. The role of perpetrators is assigned to militants of the terrorist group ISIS,” the intelligence service said in a press release at the time, noting that the militants might use drones in the attacks.
“Washington and London assume that under such conditions they will be able to more quickly achieve their own geopolitical goal – to ensure their long-term dominance in the region based on the odious concept of a ‘rules-based order’. This, however, is hampered by Russia’s military presence on the Mediterranean coast of Syria, which still serves as a significant factor in regional stability,” the release added.
Reports released earlier this week revealed that Russian forces expanded their control around Khmeimim, entering at least three nearby towns to secure the air base.
There has also been an increase in Russian aerial operations over the coast and other parts of Syria. Moreover, Russian military convoys are said to be constantly moving between the bases in Khmeimim and Tartus with no restrictions from the forces of the interim government.
Russia has been reportedly in talks with the interim government to keep its bases on the Syrian coast since last December. While an agreement is yet to be reached, the two sides maintain high levels of communications.
On March 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa supporting efforts to stabilize the situation in the country and saying Russia is ready to engage in “practical cooperation”.
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