Syrian, Russian Strikes Hit Greater Idlib After Two Waves Of Drone Attacks (Video, Photos)

A Russian Su-24 strike aircraft in the sky over the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Photo: Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) carried out a series of strikes against militants’ positions in the northwestern region of Greater Idlib, the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on November 18.

In a statement, the ministry said that the air and artillery strikes were carried out in response to recent attacks on civilian areas and military positions near Greater Idlib.

The strikes destroyed headquarters, fortifications, ammunition depots, vehicles, drone launchers in the southern and northwestern Idlib countryside, the ministry added.

According to the ministry, “dozens” of militants from al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of Greater Idlib, and the allied Turkistan Islamic Party were killed in the joint strikes. The names of eight slain militants were shared by the ministry, which also released video footage showing some of the strike.

The strikes came following two waves of drone attacks from Greater Idlib. On November 13, the ministry said that five suicide drones were shot down over the countryside of Idlib, Hamas and Aleppo. One of the drones had a wingspan of six meters. It was powered by a “liquid rocket engine” and carried a warhead weighing 100 kg.

Four more suicide drones were shot down over the countryside of Aleppo and Lattakia on November 18, according to the ministry.

The escalation in Greater Idlib began following a drone attack that targeted the annual graduation ceremony at the Syrian Military Academy near the central city of Homs on October 5. The attack claimed the lives of 89 civilians and service members and left more than 277 other wounded.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the drone attack. However, evidence indicates that HTS or one of its allies was responsible.

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