Greater Idlib: HTS Says Its Militants Killed Or Wounded 13 Syrian Soldiers In New Attack (Photos)

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On March 25, al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) claimed that its militants killed six soldiers of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and wounded seven others during an attack that was launched from the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib.

According to the terrorist group, the attack targeted military positions near the town of Ruweiha in the southern Idlib countryside.

The group released several photos showing militants from its so-called Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib Brigade making final preparations before the attack.

HTS claims were dismissed by Sputnik, which reported that the attack on Ruweiha was repelled by SAA troops. The Russian news agency said that at least six foreign militants of the group were killed during the failed attack.

Meanwhile, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a report that two soldiers of the SAA and an HTS militant were killed during the clashes near Ruweiha.

The attack was the most recent in a series of operations by HTS which are meant to destabilize the situation in Greater Idlib in order to sabotage ongoing Russian efforts to restore ties between Ankara, who maintain a large force in the region, and Damascus.

Two days earlier, on March 23, ten militants and a field commander of HTS were killed by the SAA during a failed attack on the 46th Regiment base in the western Aleppo countryside.

The terrorist group fears that Ankra could withdraw its force from Greater Idlib to facilitate the normalization process with Damascus. Such a development will enable the SAA and its allies to resume large-scale ground operations in the region, thus it would mark the end of the group and its de-facto state.

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