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An armed drones swarm attacked the Russian Hmeimim airbase south of the Syrian coastal governroate of Lattakia in the early hours of June 26.
Local sources said that Russian air defense systems engaged several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which had approached the airbase. All the hostile UAVs were reportedly shot down away from the airbase, causing no losses what so ever.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), this was the first UAV attack on Hmeimim airbase in more than a month. The last such attack took place in the 18th of last May.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former branch of al-Qaeda, is believed to be responsible for these attacks. The terrorist group is the only side with enough financial and military resources to develop and operate such armed UAVs.
The Russian Aerospace Forces will likely step up its aerial operations over Idlib and its surroundings in response to the attack. Russian forces could also support a new ground push by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).
