Rocket Attack Kills Three Syrian Soldiers On Greater Idlib Frontline

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Three soldiers of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) were killed and another was wounded as a result of a rocket attack that was carried out by militants based in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, Major General Oleg Yegorov, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, revealed on September 3.

“In Idlib governorate, three troops of the SAA were killed and one Syrian soldier was wounded in a rocket attack conducted by terrorists from Deir Sunbul against the government forces’ positions near Hantoteen,” Yegorov said.

The deadly attack was a blatant violation of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than two years ago.

Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of the region, was apparently behind the attack. The group’s terrorists attacked several positions of the SAA in the outskirts of Hantoteen with mortars and rockets on September 2.

Recent violations of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib were met with a fierce response from Russia. Last month, two rounds of Russian airstrikes targeted key positions of HTS in the region. On August 22, more than 14 airstrikes hit the western outskirts of Idlib city. The airstrikes destroyed a headquarters, a communication center and an ammunition depot of HTS. Later on August 31, a second round of airstrikes targeted the western outskirts of Idlib city as well as the town of Sarjah in the southern Idlib countryside. A headquarter and a drone base of HTS were destroyed by the airstrikes.

The Russian military will likely respond to the deadly rocket attack on SAA troops in Hantoteen. A new wave of airstrikes could hit HTS positions in Greater Idlib within a few days.

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