Russian warplanes shell opposition sites in Syria’s Latakia
LATAKIA, Syria (North Press) – Russian warplanes shelled on Friday sites of the Turkish-backed armed factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), in the countryside of Latakia, northwest Syria, as mutual shelling between parties to the conflict continued.
Military sources from the opposition told North Press that “the Russian warplanes targeted with several airstrikes Salwor, and Jabal Shoayban in Turkmen Mountain north of Latakia near the Syrian-Turkish border.”
The sources added that the Russian airstrikes coincided with intensive shelling with artillery and missiles by the Syrian government forces on the villages and towns of al-Fatterah, Kafr Oweid, Sfuhen, Kansafra, Benin in Zawiya Mountain south of Idlib, and the villages of Sirmaniyah and Duwayr al-Akrad west of Hama.
Military sources from the opposition told North Press that the al-Fateh al-Mubin Operations Room, which includes extreme factions, targeted with artillery and missiles the government forces positions in Jurin camp, al-Mashariaa and al-Omqiyah in Ghab Plain in western Hama.
Earlier today, an individual was killed and another was wounded in a drone attack on the town of al-Qardaha in the countryside of Latakia.
State-run SANA News Agency said that the drone belonged to “terrorist groups” in the northern countryside of Latakia, which is run by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) and other radical groups.
Social media websites in Latakia publicized on Facebook the news that strong explosions were heard, without revealing more details.
Since June 20, the government forces have escalated their shelling of the Turkish-backed factions’ sites and the HTS in northwest Syria in tandem with intensive Russian airstrikes on these areas, in turn, the opposition responded in the same way.
Although the de-escalation zone in northwest Syria is subject to a Russian-Turkish ceasefire agreement signed in March 2020, the area witnesses frequent mutual bombardment between Syrian government forces and opposition factions accompanied by Russian warplanes’ flight despite the entry of the ceasefire into force.
In March 2020, Russia and Turkey reached an agreement in Moscow that stipulated a ceasefire, the establishment of a safe corridor, and the conduct of joint patrols on the M4/Aleppo-Latakia Highway.