Around 80 militants of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) were killed in the recent Russian airstrikes on the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, RusVesna.RU revealed on October 15.
The airstrikes, which took place on October 14, targeted military training camps and headquarters of the terrorist group in the southwestern Idlib countryside.
HTS militants were reportedly being trained on anti-tank weapons and mountain warfare by Turkish officers and private contractors in the targeted sites.
Some opposition sources claimed that civilians were killed or injured in the airstrikes. Nevertheless, photos released by RusVesan.RU confirm that the strikes targeted military installations located far from any urban area.
Several military commanders of HTS were reportedly among those killed in the Russian airstrikes. The identities of the slain commanders is yet to be revealed.
HTS dominates most of Greater Idlib. The group leads a large alliance of Turkish-backed factions and al-Qaeda groups known as the “al-Fateh al-Mubeen Operations Room.”
The terrorist group continues to strengthen its influence and develop its offensive capabilities in Greater Idlib under the eyes of Turkish troops, which maintain more than 60 military posts in the region.
