File image.
Several drones were intercepted early on May 21 over Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base on the Syrian coast, with no losses being reported.
The drone attack came just a day after a group of militants attempted to infiltrate the air base. Four to five attackers, allegedly all Uzbek nationals, attempted to storm Khmeimim in the morning of May 20. The attack began after several drones were shot down over the air base a few hours earlier.
The attackers managed to breach the fence surrounding the base before being gunned down by Russian forces. One was reportedly able to retreat. However, he was targeted with a rocket-propelled grenade. Also during the attack, Russian forces came under sniper fire, with unconfirmed reports of casualties.
The bodies of two of the attackers were recovered by Russian forces. Later, they were reportedly handed over to the forces of the Syrian Interim Government, who denied any advance knowledge or involvement in the attack.
Following the attack, Syrian government forces deployed large reinforcements around the air base, which resumed regular operations with aircraft taking off and landing.
Khmeimim is one of two facilities the Russian military maintains in areas controlled by the Syrian government, with the other being Tartus naval base further down along the coast. Moscow continues to engage with the Syrian government, but an agreement on the future of bases is yet to be reached.
Thousands of refugees have been taking shelter in Khmeimim and its outskirts since last March, when a government crackdown claimed the lives of more than 1,600 people, mostly members of the Alawite religious minority which makes up the majority of the coast’s population.
Since the deadly crackdown, the Russian bases in Khmeimim and Tartus have been attacked with drones more than once with no group claiming responsibility. The attack on May 21 was, however, the first time Russian forces have reportedly taken losses since the fall of the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad last December.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet addressed the recent attacks, or confirmed the reports of any casualties in Khmeimim.
It is unclear how foreign militants managed to reach the air base without the knowledge of Syrian government forces. Damascus will have to answer many questions. As for Moscow, the demand for more strict security measures around Khmeimim and Tartus, and maybe on the wider coast, will become more essential.
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