Russian warplanes raid Syria’s Idlib countryside
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Friday, Russian warplanes renewed their aerial bombardment on posts of the Turkish-backed factions in areas in Idlib, northwest Syria, at a time that the southern countryside of Idlib witnessed mutual shelling between Syrian government forces and the factions.
Russian warplanes targeted Ein Shib, southwest of Idlib, and the outskirts of the town of Qorqaniya, north of Idlib, with missiles, military sources from the factions told North Press.
The Russian airstrikes coincided with intensive shelling by the government forces of the villages and towns of al-Fatira, Kafr Oweid, Sufuhun, Deir Sunbul, Shanan, Binin, Kansafra, and al-Bara in Zawiya Mountain with rockets and cluster bombs, the sources added.
The sources pointed out that the shelling mainly targeted the towns of Shanan and Kansafra with more than 150 artillery and missile shells while the town of Kafr Oweid was targeted with cluster bombs.
As a result of the shelling, civilians were wounded and massive devastation in public and private possessions was reported, sources added.
Meanwhile, the shelling coincided with intensive flight by Russian drones over the area.
Factions of Fateh al-Mubin Operations Room which includes Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS formely al-Nusra Front) and other armed groups shelled posts of the government forces in the cities of Kafr Nabl and Saraqeb and the villages of Hazarin, Tramla, and al-Dar al-Kabira, south and east Idlib, with artillery and missile, a military source from the National Front for Liberation told North Press.
Hours after Damascus government forces targeted the town of Kafr Nouran with high-explosive missiles, Fateh al-Mubin targeted the government posts in the town of Miznaz in the western countryside of Aleppo with heavy artillery shells.
On Friday morning, four children lost their lives due to government forces’ bombing of the town of Kansafra in Idlib countryside, northern Syria hours after the killing of five civilians including four children in the town of Balshon in the same area.
The military escalation between the government forces and the armed opposition groups comes despite the passage of more than a year of the ceasefire entry into force.