File image.
Russian forces repelled on May 20 morning an attack on Khmeimim Air Base on the Syrian coast, killing several militants.
Khmeimim is one of two facilities the Russian military maintains in areas controlled by Syria’s Interim government, with the other being Tartus naval base further down along the coast.
The attack began after several unidentified drones were intercepted over Khmeimim earlier in the morning. Videos posted to social networks showed fierce clashes in the outskirts of the air base. Heavy machine guns were apparently used in the clashes.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based monitoring group, speculated that the attack was carried out by a group affiliated with the forces of the Syrian Islamist-led government. Meanwhile, other Syrian news sources said that foreign militants were behind the attack.
According to Russian news sources, at least five militants attacked Khmeimim. At least four of them were killed by Russian forces.
Syrian government forces deployed large reinforcements around Khmeimim after the clashes. Several checkpoints were set and the movement of civilians was restricted.
Thousands of refugees have been taking shelter in Khmeimim and its outskirts since early last March, when a government crackdown claimed the lives of more than 1,600 people, mostly members of the Alawite religious minority which make up the majority of the coast’s population.
Since the deadly crackdown, the Russian bases in Khmeimim and Tartus have been attacked with drones more than once with no group claiming responsibility. None of the attacks was successful.
Moscow and Damascus maintain high levels of communications, but an agreement on the future of Russian bases on the coast is yet to be reached.
Addressing the situation in Syria, especially on the coast, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 20 that Moscow was deeply concerned.
“The situation in the Middle East is particularly troubling, especially in Syria, where groups of radical militants commit real acts of ethnic cleansing and mass executions on ethnic and religious grounds,” the minister stated, according to the TASS news agency.
The latest attack on Khmeimim represents a serious escalation, especially that it is very hard to imagine how it could happen without the knowledge of Syrian government forces which are tightly controlling the coast. Russia could respond by expanding its control on the coast to better guard its bases, if the government refuses to cooperate.
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what a strange set of developments. now that the assad regime has been toppled, we cannot claim we are there “invited and supported by intl law”, can we? what exactly are ru interests in syria now? it seems like israel is using ru to do its dirty work and kill off more muzzie militants. israel’s interests and russia’s seem to be one and the same again.
the khazarian mafia is almost exclusively russian-jew oligarchs. that should help you figure out why it seems strange
lost all respect for poutine and those in the russian federation’s government who view their men and women in uniform just like the u.$.a. does. poutine and the rest of the laughing stock peanut gallery around him know and understand where tiny hat usery comes in that make them rich… and who knows?…
maybe we will see larry fink and vladimir poutine one day soon toasting a rare earth minerals deal complete with new immigrants in the eastern donbas to replace all of the ones that got slaughtered the past 11 years?!!!
dissing putin is a stated goal of nato propaganda.
that’s why i said what i said about 9/11 on the other thread about mozart mercs… they are all in on it.
anglozionazi fan
right? its weird.
ask assad how much use russia was in “liquidating” terrorists…heheheeeh
they were very useful actually. the real question is whether there is a mutual interest in depopulating the region for a greater israel. all while showcasing the might of the russian mic
have you noticed putin and nutty yahoo dont have public meetings anymore? i think hes trying to hide it lol
“hehehe” the nutter is squealing yet again
your daughter squeals when i pop her in the pooper…heheheheehehe
time to send the fleet. syria is a sinking ship. carve off whatever land you can, or else someone else will.
if russia plans to leave syria, do take the alawites who want to leave as well. it seems the most humane thing to do.
more cia groups bite that dust