Russian Air Force Increases Flights over Terrorist-Held Regions in Northwestern Syria

TEHRAN (defapress)- Russian fighter jets and reconnaissance planes have increased their flights over terrorist-held regions in Idlib province as the Syrian Army dispatched more troops to the region for a major assault on the militants, local sources reported on Wednesday.

News ID: 74713

Date: 02 January 2019 - 14:38

Militant-affiliated sources reported that the warplanes have been intensely flying over terrorist-held regions in Idlib, adding that the Russian Sukhoi AM-24 have been engaged in spying flights to specify terrorist positions and bases in the region.

In the meantime, the Syrian Army dispatched a long convoy, including tens of forces and a large volume of military equipment to Northern Hama.

The army has forwarded a large number of forces and a large volume of military hardware to contact lines with the terrorists in the demilitarized zone in Northeastern Lattakia and Hama, preparing for a major operation to hunt down the militants.

Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) and its allies have been pounding the army's positions in Lattakia, Hama and Idlib provinces in recent days.

Led by an air squadron from the Humeimim Airport in Lattakia, the Russian jets repeatedly struck the jihadist positions on Sunday night in the Jisr al-Shughour in Southwestern Idlib.

According to a military source in Lattakia, the Russian Air Force specifically targeted the positions of Tahrir Al-Sham Hay’at and the Turkestan Islamic Party West of the town of Jisr al-Shughour.

The airstrikes were mostly carried out by the Russian Air Force, with some participation from the Syrian Air Force, the source added.

The reason for the airstrikes was unknown at this time because neither the Syrian nor Russian forces commented on the attack.

Despite the absence of a statement, the Russian Air Force typically carries out airstrikes over the region when they have information about a major movement from the jihadist rebels.

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