Syrian Army Repels Attack On Greater Idlib Front, Shoots Down Drones (Photos)

Illustrative image.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) had repelled an attack by “terrorist groups” on its positions in the southern Idlib countryside, the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on July 11.

The ministry usually uses the term “terrorist groups” to refer to al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies who control the Greater Idlib region. The region includes vast parts of the southern Idlib countryside, where the attack took place.

The group sustained heavy losses during the attack, the ministry said in a statement, adding that dozens of terrorists were killed or wounded.

In the same statement, the ministry said that the SAA shot down a number of suicide drones that attempted to attack military and civilian targets near Greater Idlib. Photos showing the wreckage of the downed drones were shared by the ministry.

The ministry also said that the SAA and the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a series of retaliatory strikes after the attacks, targeting sites and fortifications of the terrorists. Dozens of terrorists were killed or wounded as a result of the strikes, including commanders of the HTS-allied Turkistan Islamic Party, according to the ministry.

It’s worth noting that more than 20 Russian strikes hit Greater Idlib on July 10, mainly targeting the outskirts of Idlib city and the western countryside of the governorate. There were also reports of multiple Syrian FPV suicide drone strikes against terrorsit vehicles in the region on the same day as well as on July 11.

The escalation in Greater Idlib came amid renewed efforts to restore relations between Turkey, who maintains a large force in the region, and the Damascus government. These efforts are reportedly led by Russia and backed by China, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The recent attacks by HTS and its allies, which violate a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey more than four years ago, appear to be an attempt to sabotage Syrian-Turkish talks.

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