On Thursday, October 5, a promotion ceremony for army officers loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad ended at the military academy in Homs, central Syria, when explosives-laden drones targeted the gathering of soldiers and their families.
The attack, which came 12 years after the start of the civil war far from the front lines that still divide Syria, killed at least 80 people, including six women and six children, and injured 240, a preliminary ministry report said . of Syrian health. For its part, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), a UK-based organization, reported “112 dead, including 21 civilians” and at least 120 injured.
The attack, which was not claimed, hit the Damascus regime right at the heart. “It is a delicate target for the regime, whose backbone is the army: these men will form the future elite.” Some are the sons of men in power,” emphasizes Aron Lund, an expert at the Century Foundation think tank. The Syrian army promised to “respond decisively” to this attack, which was attributed to “terrorist organizations (…) supported by known international forces.” Shortly afterwards, according to local residents, government troops bombed Idlib province, the last rebel stronghold in the northwest of the country. The OSDH reported eight dead and thirty injured.
Read also: Our analysis of Idlib in 2020. Article reserved for our subscribers Idlib, the trap of the Syrian conflict
The rebel groups present in this Turkish-controlled enclave of 4.1 million people, particularly the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), have demonstrated in the past their ability to carry out armed drone attacks against regime forces, targeting the Hmeimim military base (West). Despite a ceasefire between Turkey and Russia, the godfather of Damascus, in March 2020, sporadic fighting continues between loyalist forces and rebels in Idlib province. They have recently worsened as the regime is weakened by a severe economic crisis and, since August, by a new wave of protests in the south of the country.
Negotiations between Damascus and Ankara have stalled
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” after the drone attack on Homs and “retaliatory bombings” in northwest Syria.
“This attack represents an escalation. Will the regime choose a comprehensive response? “This would require the support of Russia and Turkey, which have troops stationed in the province,” estimates Aron Lund. As reconciliation negotiations between Damascus and Ankara stall, Turkey continues its campaign against Kurdish fighters who run the autonomous zone in northeastern Syria.
You still have 30.02% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.