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On August 26 afternoon, four soldier of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) were killed or injured when militants targeted their position in the southern part of Greater Idlib.
The military position, which is located in the vicinity the town of al-Jaradeh, was targeted with an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). The attack was likely carried out by the al-Fateh al-Mubeen Operations Room, which is led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
The ATGM attack came amid intense clashes between the SAA and militants of al-Fateh al-Mubeen around the town of Ruwayhah in southern Idlib.
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Earlier today, a civilian in the government-held part of northwestern Hama was injured when al-Fateh al-Mubeen militants shelled the region. The SAA responded with artillery strikes on militants’ positions in southern Idlib.
Greater Idlib militants became more aggressive in the last few weeks. Turkey, that maintains a large force in the Syrian region, is doing nothing to contain them.
The repeated militants’ attacks and provocations could force the SAA and its allies to resume their ground operations in Greater Idlib. This would likely lead to another confrontation with Turkish forces in the region.
