Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
On September 6, the Russian Aerospace Forces launched another wave of airstrikes on the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib.
The airstrikes hit the outskirts of Fatterah in the southern Idlib countryside amid heavy clashes between al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), who is conducting a limited operation to improve its defensive positions near the town.
Many militants were reportedly killed as a result of the Russian airstrikes and SAA fire. Ansar al-Tawhid, a close ally of HTS, acknowledged losing five of its members.
The SAA began operating near Fatterah following a series of attacks by HTS and its allies, including a tunnel bombing on August 26 that targeted a position in the nearby town of Milaja and claimed the lives of some 11 soldiers.
In recent days, the SAA deployed large reinforcements along the front in the southern Idlib countryside including units from the elite 25th Special Mission Forces Division, formerly known as the Tiger Forces.
Rumors of a near large-scale ground operation against HTS and its allies surfaced on social media. Nevertheless, this remains unlikely as such an operation could lead to a confrontation with the Turkish military who maintains a fairly large force in Greater Idlib.
It’s worth noting that HTS and its allies escalated their attacks earlier this year in a violation of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib. The escalation appears to be an attempt to sabotage the Turkish-Syrian normalization process, which is sponsored by Russia and Iran.
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tak tie mali rusi prevádzať hneď od samého začiatku. a mali by sa zamerať aj na okupantov z usa!!! tí sú v sýrii nezákonne. a keďže br osn s tým nič nerobí, tak by mali s tým robiť aspoň rusi!!!