A Russian Su-24 takes off on a combat mission at Hemeimeem airbase, Syria, on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. IMAGE: AP PHOTO/VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
On January 16, a new wave of Russian airstrikes hit the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib where several terrorist groups are present and active.
At least four airstrikes hit farmlands between the towns of Fatterah and Kansafra in the southern Idlib countryside. The targets were most likely positions of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of Greater Idlib, and its allies.
مباشر
الغارة الثانية على قرية #الفطيرة الآن pic.twitter.com/5c6dvSskEN— المحرر لحظة بلحظة (@Almohrar1) January 16, 2022
الغارة الرابعة على قرية #الفطيرة
اللهم سلم pic.twitter.com/BHymt6Q1Wg— فريق ملتقى أهل الخير التطوعي (@MghrdSwry) January 16, 2022
A few minutes before the Russian airstrikes, the Syrian Arab Army artillery shelled a post of the Turkish military near Kansafra. Several Turkish soldiers were reportedly wounded.
This was the second wave of Russian airstrikes to hit Greater Idlib this week. On January 15, at least four airstrikes targeted the outskirts of the town of al-Bara in the southern countryside of Idlib.
The recent Syrian and Russian strikes on Greater Idlib were likely a response to violations of the ceasefire in the region by HTS and its allies.
The situation in Greater has been deteriorating for more than year now. Despite this, Damascus and its allies have been refraining from taking any meaningful action, likely to avoid a confrontation with Turkish forces in the region. Ankara is still determined to maintain the status quo there.
