At least eight anti-regime fighters were killed overnight from Sunday to Monday by Russian airstrikes on the last major rebel stronghold in northwestern Syria, an NGO said.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), “Russian warplanes carried out airstrikes on the western outskirts of the city of Idlib, targeting a military base in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) “.
“At least eight fighters” from this jihadist group have been killed, added Rami Abdel Rahmane, director of the UK-based OSDH who has an extensive network of sources in Syria.
Several other fighters were injured according to the NGO.
An AFP correspondent in Idleb said the strikes had targeted an agricultural area in the region, the last major rebel stronghold in northwestern Syria, partly controlled by the jihadist group HTS.
Fighters from this formation deployed around the targeted objectives and blocked access to journalists.
Russia is the main backer of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and has been intervening militarily in Syria since 2015.
On August 5, at least three civilians, including a child, were killed in Russian strikes west of Idlib city. And on June 25, other particularly deadly strikes in the same region left at least 13 dead, including nine civilians.
The last pocket of armed opposition to the regime includes a large part of the province of Idleb as well as territories bordering the provinces of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), from the former local branch of Al-Qaeda, is the main group active in these territories, where other less influential rebel factions are also present, supported to varying degrees by Turkey.
With the support of Russia and Iran, the Syrian regime has regained most of the territory lost at the start of the war, which was triggered in 2011 by the suppression of pro-democracy demonstrations.
The Idlib region is subject to a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey after a regime offensive in March 2020.
And despite repeated violations, the ceasefire is generally respected.
The war in Syria, sparked in 2011 by the crackdown on pro-democracy protests, has claimed more than half a million lives and displaced several million people.
21/08/2023 09:43:37 – Beirut (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
