Illustrative image
In a major violation the ceasefire in Greater Idlib, militants stationed in the region carried out on May 9 a rocket attack on the Russian Hmeimim Air Base in southern Lattakia.
According to pro-government sources, the militants launched at least four rockets at the air base from their positions in the town of Tardin in the northern Lattakia countryside.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) confirmed the attack. According to the state-run news agency, the rockets fell in farmlands.
Click to see full-size map. Source: (@Suriyakmaps) on Twitter, Via Google Maps – TerraMetrics
There was no immediate claim for the attack. However, the area from which the rockets were launched is controlled by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) and Ajnad al-Kavkaz (AK).
The rocket attack on the Hmeimim Air Base was the most notable violation of the Russian-Turkish agreement on Greater Idlib, which was reached on March 5.
The Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) will likely respond to this violation in the nearest future. Russian and Syrian warplanes could resume airstrikes on militants’ positions in Greater Idlib.
