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 August 27, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a series of airstrikes on the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib where many terrorist groups are present and active.
The first wave of airstrikes targeted the town of al-Bara, while the second wave hit the outskirts of the town of Mjdlya. Both towns, which are located near the M4 highway in the southern countryside of Idlib, are tightly controlled by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahir al-Sham (HTS).
غارات من الطيران الحربي الروسي تستهدف اطراف بلدة #البارة جنوب #ادلب pic.twitter.com/pLOZGKcqHr
— #الاعلامي _سامي _الحلبي (@iHHDYROQMHnphnS) August 27, 2021
استهدفت الطائرات الحربية الروسية صباح اليوم أطراف بلدة البارة في منطقة جبل الزاوية بريف ادلب بثلاث غارات جوية، دون تسجل أي إصابات بين صفوف المدنيين. pic.twitter.com/zlqfXjfrKe
— IDLIB PLUS (@IdlibPlus) August 27, 2021
إستهدفت الطائرات الحربية الروسية أطراف بلدة #البارة جنوبي #إدلب بثلاث غارات جوية، صباح اليوم الجمعة 27 آب
فرقنا تفقدت المكان المستهدف ولم تُسجل أي إصابات بين صفوف المدنيين.#الخوذ_البيضاء https://t.co/qAUAF7LfJF pic.twitter.com/V5MZ5HNc2O
— 𖤓ᵂˢᴱᴱᴹ™𖤓🎭 1️⃣ (@WM_FREESYR) August 27, 2021
تصعيد عنيف تشهده مناطق #جبل_الزاوية صباح اليوم من جديد المقاتلات الروسية تستهدف محيط قرية #مجدليا #بريف_إدلب_الجنوبي بثلاث غارات جوية pic.twitter.com/RoLIxb89e5
— أحمد عاصي (@ahmad_aassi1) August 27, 2021
#سورية
غارات حربية روسية تستهدف محيط بلدتيّ مجدليا و معر بليت شرق مدينة أريحا جنوب إدلب pic.twitter.com/xwmXYwPkX8— محمد العموري (@mohamedamory66) August 27, 2021
During the airstrikes, a ground-to-air missile was reportedly fired at a Russian manned reconnaissance aircraft. The missile exploded midair, kilometers away from the aircraft which carried out on with its mission.
Some Syrian opposition activists said that the missile was fired by HTS, the de-facto ruler of Greater Idlib. Others, however, claimed that the missile was launched by Turkish forces deployed in the southern Idlib countryside.
لحظة الإستهداف pic.twitter.com/XVdiBmUgmP
— همام عيسى (@humam_isa) August 27, 2021
Last year, Turkish forces in Greater Idlib were caught red-handed while attempting to shot down a Russian warplane with a US-made FIM-92 Stinger man-portable air-defense system.
According to opposition activists, this was the fourth time a ground-to-air missile is launched at Russian warplanes operating over Greater Idlib this month. A similar incident was also reported last June.
The attempts to shot down Russian warplanes will not likely go unpunished. HTS, its allies and its backers are all responsible for these provocations in some way, or another. These provocations are destabilizing Greater Idlib and jeopardizing the ceasefire.
Geo-locate the source of fire and return to make a strong point of disapproval – with FAB-500kg bombs.
It seems Russian laser directional countermeasures and EW suit did the job. Most excellent Comrades 🤗👍🥇 CIAtrolls and hasbarats will cry and rage 🤗
Firing SA missiles at Russians? What a fckn joke. The hts/turk fools simply paint themselves as a strategic target.