A Russian Su-24 strike aircraft in the sky over the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Photo: Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti
On October 13, heavy Russian airstrikes hit the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, which is controlled by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and several other terrorist groups.
In the morning, several airstrikes hit the towns of al-Ankawi in the northwestern Hama countryside, Sheikh Sindian in the western Idlib countryside, al-Bara in the Jabal Al-Zawiya area in the southern Idlib countryside and Kabani in the northern countryside of Lattakia.
A second wave of airstrikes targeted the towns of Kansafra, Horsh Joseph, Ahsem and Mashoun in the southern Idlib countryside later in the evening.
Citing a Syrian field source, Sputnik said that one of the targets of the Russian airstrikes was a headquarters of al-Qaeda-affiliated Ansar al-Tawhid, a close ally of HTS, in the southern Idlib countryside which was used to launch several drone attacks.
Eight militants were killed and a number of drones were destroyed in the airstrikes on the headquarters, according to the Russian news agency.
The Syrian Arab Army and the Russian Aerospace Forces resumed strikes on Greater Idlib following a drone attack that targeted the annual graduation ceremony at the Syrian Military Academy near the central city of Homs on October 5. The attack claimed the lives of 89 civilians and service members and left more than 277 other wounded.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the drone attack. Nevertheless, evidence indicates that HTS or one of its allies was responsible.
Despite recent provocations by HTS and its allies, the ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than three years ago, is still holding up. The SAA will not likely resume ground operations in the region any time in the near future.
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