Russian warplanes renew shelling of NW Syria
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Russian warplanes renewed on Tuesday airstrikes on areas held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS – formerly al-Nusra Front) in the countryside of Idlib Governorate, northwest Syria, amidst ongoing mutual shelling between the conflicting parties in the de-escalation zone.
Military sources told North Press that “three Russian warplanes carried out airstrikes this evening on the town of al-Fatira and the outskirts of the town of Safouhan in Zawiya Mountain, south of Idlib, with more than six dual airstrikes and explosive missiles.”
The Russian airstrikes were preceded by intense artillery and missile shelling by Syrian government forces, targeting the villages and towns of al-Fatira, Kafr Awid, Safouhan, Kensafra, Balion, al-Mozara, and al-Bara with more than 600 artillery and missile shells, according to the sources.
The sources pointed out that after the intense shelling, the government forces attempted to advance on the area of al-Malaja in Zawiya Mountain for the third time in less than 24 hours. However, the advance was thwarted, and the government forces lost an armored BMP vehicle, amid reports of casualties among the government forces and the HTS.
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 despite the entry of the ceasefire into force.