On September 7, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted a new series of airstrikes on positions of militants in the southern Idlib countryside and the northern Hama countryside. According to the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) linked news agency, Iba’a, the airstrikes hit the towns of Hbit, Kafr Ein, Khan Shaykhun, Kafr Zita, al- Sayyad and Tell A’s.
Syrian opposition activists said that HTS and Jaysh al-Izza shelled several positions of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the northern Hama countryside with heavy rockets in response to the Russian airstrikes. No casualties were reported as a result of the shelling.
#Syria: Rebels shelled NW. #Hama front with Elephant rockets in retaliation for airstrikes. https://t.co/vWNjSyGOUN pic.twitter.com/Va8SnqSoAX
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) September 7, 2018
Three days ago, Russian warplanes carried out a similar series of airstrikes on several positions of HTS and other radical groups in the northwestern Idlib countryside. According to the Ministry of Defense of Russia, several ammo depots and weapon workshops were destroyed in the airstrikes.
The situation in northwestern Syria may escalate in the few upcoming hours, especially that the SAA have been massing its troops around the opposition-held areas in the region since the beginning of August.
