© Sputnik / Iliya Pitalev
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) had launched a series of strikes against the northwestern region of Greater Idlib, the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on October 3.
In a statement, the ministry said that the SAA destroyed several positions, fortifications, vehicles and mortars of “terrorist armed groups,” a term used to refer to al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies, in the northwestern Hama countryside and the southern Idlib countryside with artillery and anti-tank guided missiles.
The SAA also shot down two fixed-wing suicide drones that attempted to attack its positions in the northern Aleppo countryside, according to the ministry.
The ministry also released footage of the strikes, which killed a number of militants including at least two from the HTS-allied Ansar al-Tawhid.
HTS and its allies launched several attacks from Greater Idlib in recent weeks, violating a ceasefire that was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than three years ago.
Recent violations included a raid in the northern Lattakia countryside on September 15 that claimed the lives of an officer and three soldiers of the SAA, a missile strike that damaged a tank in the southern Idlib countryside on September 23 and a drone attack on the northwestern Hama countryside that left four civilians wounded on September 25.
Last month, HTS and its allies lost dozens of militants to strikes carried out by the SAA and the Russian Aerospace Forces. However, they remain undeterred.
More strikes will likely hit Greater Idlib in coming days and weeks. Still, a ground operation by the SAA remains highly-unlikely due to the objection of Ankara, who maintains a large military force in the region.
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the biggest stupidity assad did was to stop exterminating them in the beginning. you dont stop when you are on the win !!! the terrorists leaving in busses had to be exterminated to the last !!! now whit the yankees to protect them the war will be for 20 years !!! stupids !!!