Syrian Army Foils Infiltration Attempts On Greater Idlib Front, Kills Several Militants (Video, Photos)

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The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) had foiled two infiltration attempts by militants based in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on September 12.

In a statement, the ministry said that the first attempt took place in the southern Idlib countryside, while the second was in the western countryside of Aleppo.

Video footage released by the ministry showed what appears to be pinpoint artillery strikes against two gatherings of militants.

The ministry also shared photos showing the dead bodies of three militants who were allegedly killed while taking part in one of the infiltration attempts.

Earlier this month, a series of Syria and Russian strikes hit Greater Idlib. Some 111 militants were killed and at least 80 others were wounded in the strikes which were carried out in response to recent violation of the ceasefire by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of the region, and its allies. The attack included a tunnel bombing in the southern Idlib countryside on August 26 that reportedly claimed the lives of 11 soldiers of the SAA.

Despite recent escalation by HTS and its allies, the ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than three years ago, is still holding up.

However, the Turkish-Syrian normalization process did slow down. The situation in Greater Idlib remains one of the main points of disagreement between the two sides. Damascus insists on a Turkish military withdrawal from the region and other Syrian territory. However, Ankara claims that this presence is necessary for its security.

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