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On March 10, radical militants launched more than six Grad rockets from their positions inside the demilitarized zone around the governorate of Idlib at the town of Masyaf in the western Hama countryside.
Masyaf, which is located more than 25km south of the demilitarized zone, controls several key roads that links Syria’s coast with the central region. Russian forces maintain an air defense base near the town, where an S-400 system is deployed.
Local sources said that no one was injured in the militants’ rocket attack. However, several civilian building sustained material damage.
Within few minutes, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) announced that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has responded to the attack, by shelling positions and equipment of militants in northern Hama.
“Army units destroyed vehicles and hideouts of the terrorists in al-Lataminah, Arbain and Kafr Zita with rocket and artillery strikes,” a short press release by the SANA reads.
A day earlier, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out two waves of airstrikes on militants’ positions in western and southeastern Idlib. The upcoming hours may witness similar airstrikes, as the militants appear to be unwilling to de-escalate the tension around Idlib.
