TIP terrorists in Greater Idlib. Illustrative image.
On July 20 morning, four terrorists of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) carried out an “Inghimasi attack” [suicidal raid] on a post of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the town of Mizanaz in the western countryside of Aleppo.
The terrorists infiltrate SAA defenses on Mizanaz front then stormed the post, where they killed five officers. All four terrorists were tracked and killed by the army before they could withdraw.
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The five casualties were identified as Cpt. Majid Hassoun, Cpt. Ayham Al-Hussein, Lt. Masoum Al-Ahmad Allah, Lt. Mahmoud Anas Damer and Lt. Abdul Rahman Anas Dam. All of them were serving in the ranks of the Republican Guards’ 125th Battalion.
The attack took place as Russian warplanes were pounding militants’ positions in the outskirts of the town of Kabani in the northern Lattakia countryside.
Recently, militants in Greater Idlib escalated their attacks on the SAA and shelled a number of government-held towns and villages around the region. The ceasefire, which was brokered on March 5 of last year by Russia and Turkey, is barely holding on.
The TIP has been fighting on several frontlines in Greater Idlib alongside the de-facto ruler of the region, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
According to recent reports, China has been providing the SAA with military support to combat the TIP. During his last visit to Damascus, Beijing’s Foreign Minister discussed joint work against terrorist groups.
