With our regional correspondent, Paul Khalifeh
Russian and Syrian planes carried out airstrikes against nearly a dozen targets in Idlib province and northern Latakia (northwestern Syria) on Sunday, June 25. The fighter-bombers hit jihadist positions of Hayaat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, and the Turkestan Islamic Party, which is made up of radical elements from Central Asia and China.
Massive raids
This formation consists of several hundred fighters stationed in northern Latakia province in villages abandoned by their residents. Airstrikes this Sunday against this region under Turkish influence are the most massive since the Russian air force deployed three days ago, after more than a year of relative calm.
The attacks come after jihadist drone and artillery attacks on Bashar al-Assad’s hometown of Kardaha in Latakia last week. Two other locations in Hama had been attacked by Islamist groups, killing four civilians and injuring several civilians. Hayaat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls much of Idlib, has evacuated its positions and checkpoints across the province amid fears of further airstrikes.
Also readSyria: Ten Kurdish fighters killed in Türkiye’s drone strikes