Syrian Army Struck Greater Idlib With Tochka Ballistic Missile (Photos)

Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.

On September 8, the Syrian Arab Army launched an OTR-21 Tochka tactical ballistic missile at the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib that is occupied by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and several other terrorist groups.

The missile reportedly targeted the al-Rug Plain in the western countryside of Idlib, where HTS maintains a network of positions.

Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.

Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.

The Tochka, which was first presented by the Soviet Union in the mid-70s, has a range between 70 and 185 kilometers depending on the variant. The missile is well-known for his high-accuracy. It has a circular error probable of less than 70 meters.

The missile used in the attack on the al-Rug Plain was reportedly armed with a cluster warhead. This variant is usually used to target gatherings of manpower and equipment.

The attack coincided with a series of Russian airstrikes on the western countryside of Idlib. More than 12 airstrikes targeted positions of HTS near the towns of Hafsarjah, Sheikh Yousef, Sijer and Ghafar. Seven people were killed and at least 12 others were wounded.

The Russian airstrikes and the Syrian missile attack were likely a response to recent ceasefire violations by HTS and its allies.

The ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than two years ago, is barley holding up. Over the past weeks, four Syrian soldiers were killed and four others were wounded in indirect fire attacks launched from the region.

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