An Su-24 taking off from Hmeimim air base in 2015. IMAGE: Russian Ministry of Defense
On August 25, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a series of airstrikes on militants’ positions in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib.
The airstrikes targeted hills surrounding the town of Kabani in the northern Lattakia countryside. The town and its surroundings are known to be a stronghold for many terrorist groups, first and foremost al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
No losses were reported as a result of the Russian airstrikes. Nevertheless, HTS and its allies are infamous for hiding their losses.
A day earlier, between 7 and 14 militants were killed when a large explosion hit a training camp of HTS near the town of Ram Hamadan in the northern countryside of Idlib. HTS claimed that the explosion was the result of an accident. However, many sources said that a drone strike targeted the camp.
Russian warplanes have been bombing Greater Idlib for a week now. The airstrikes appear to be a response to the repeated provocations by HTS and allies.
The Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria documented 29 violations of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib on August 24 only. HTS and its allies were behind all of them.
While the situation in Greater Idlib is still far from being stable, the chances of a major military confrontation in the region remain low.
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