Russian Su-25 attack aircraft take off from the Khmeimim airbase in Syria © Dmitriy Vinogradov / Sputnik
On May 16, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out at least 12 airstrikes on the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, where several terrorist groups are active.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Russian airstrikes struck the town of Burnas in the western Idlib countryside, and the town of Kabani in the northern countryside of Lattakia.
“No casualties have been reported,” the monitoring group said in a report.
Several groups affiliated with al-Qaeda, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the de-facto ruler of Greater Idlib, the Turkistan Islamic Party and Ajnad al-Kavkaz are known to be operating in the targeted areas. Moreover, a Turkish military post is located near Burnas.
طائرات الاحتلال الروسي تستهدف منطقة البرناص في ريف ادلب الغربي . pic.twitter.com/QMdNU8pYp1
— ميلاد فضل (@freeehsem) May 16, 2021
The Russian airstrikes coincided with Syrian artillery strikes on the northwestern Hama countryside. The strikes hit the towns of al-Ankawi, al-Qahera, al-Sarmaniyah and Kherbet al-Naqus .
Earlier this week, several Russian airstrikes targeted militants’ posts in northern Lattakia and western Idlib. According to recent reports, al-Qaeda factions have been amassing a large strike force in these areas.
The airstrikes were likely meant as a response to the militants’ repeated violations of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib that has been holding up for over a year now.
