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More mysterious drones were reportedly intercepted late on March 28 close to Russia’s two main bases on the Syrian coast.
At least three drones were downed over the town of Sahm al-Bahr, according to Syrian media reports, which said that the interceptions were carried out by Russian air defenses.
Sahm al-Bahr is locateds some 23 kilometers to the north of the port of Tartus, which hosts a base of the Russian Navy, and around 30 kilometers to the south of Khmeimim Air Base where the bulk of the Russian military group in Syria is deployed.
An air defense base of the former Syrian Arab Army with a Soviet-made S-125 system is located right next to Sahm al-Bahr. However, the forces of the Syrian interim government have not yet managed to bring any of the country’s air defenses back to service.
At least two drones were intercepted earlier in the day by Russian air defenses close to the bases in Tartus and Khmeimim.
It remains unclear if the drones shot down over the Syrian coast during the day were on their way to attack the Russian bases, or just to spy on them.
Tensions have been mounting on the coast since government forces unleashed a deadly crackdown against the Alawite religious minority, which makes up most of the region’s population, earlier in the month. More than 1,600 civilians, mainly Alawites, were killed and tens of thousands others were displaced, with nearly 10,000 taking refuge at Khmeimim.
Still, there has been no frection whatsoever between the government and Russian forces operating in Tartus and Khmeimim.
While Russia and the Syrian interim are yet to reach an agreement on the future of the bases in Tartus and Khmeimim, the two sides maintain high levels of communications.
Earlier this week, reports revealed that Russian forces expanded their control around Khmeimim, entering at least three nearby towns to secure the air base. The move was apparently coordinated with government forces which withdrew from the towns of Qubaisiya, Bakhdarmo, and Khirbet al-Ashar.
A third party seeking to spark a conflict on the coast may be behind the recent drone incidents. 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, including the use of drones.
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