Illustrative image.
On November 2, several soldiers of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) were killed or wounded near the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib when their vehicle was targeted by the Turkish-backed National Front (NFL) for Liberation.
NFL militants targeted the vehicle, a pickup truck, with an anti-tank guided missile as it was passing next to a military position located near the town of al-Shekh Aqeel in the western Aleppo countryside. The vehicle was completely destroyed as a result of the strike. The exact number of casualties is yet to be revealed.
The missile strike came just a few hours after an attack by the SAA that killed a militant of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The militant was reportedly killed near the town of Kafr Taal in the western Aleppo countryside, likely by sniper fire.
The NLF is Turkey’s main proxy in Greater Idlib, which is de-facto ruled by HTS. The two factions have several differences. However, they fight side by side against the SAA and its allies.
The al-Shekh Aqeel missile strike was the most recent in a series of violations of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib by the NFL and HTS. The ceasefire was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than two years ago. Yet, the situation in Greater Idlib remains unstable.
The strike will not likely go unpunished. The SAA will respond within a few days. The Russian Aerospace Forces could also take action by attacking positions of the NFL and HTS.
