Turkish-backed factions shot down Russian, Iranian drones in Syria’s Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Tuesday, Turkish-backed Syrian armed opposition factions in Idlib, northwest Syria, announced that they shot down three Russian and Iranian drones.
Military sources of the factions told North Press that they shot down two Russian drones in Benin, east of Zawiya Mountain, south of Idlib.
The factions also shot down a drone of the Iranian-backed factions in al-Ruwaiha town, in the same area, where the drone exploded near a checkpoint of the opposition factions wounding a militant, according to the sources.
Meanwhile, soldiers of Syrian government forces died and others were wounded as a result of attacking their posts in the village of Tanjara in Ghab Plain, west of Hama, by militants of Turkistan Islamic Party.
For its part, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) announced the targeting of the government forces posts in the city of Saraqib and the town of Dadikh, east of Idlib.
While the government forces continued their artillery and missile shelling against villages and towns of al-Fatira, Kafr Oweid, Sfuhun, Kansafra, and the outskirts of al-Bara, Benin, and al-Ruwaiha in Zawiya Mountrain, sources of Syrian Civil Defense said.
The sources pointed out that the shelling coincided with intense flight by Russian drones that targeted the area leaving material losses to more than 18 civilian houses in addition to damages in a school in the town of Kansafra, south of Idlib, according to the sources.
For months, areas in Syria’s northwest have been witnessing mutual shelling between the government forces and the factions, leaving dozens of civilian casualties and wounded.
Since June, areas in Syria’s northwest have been witnessing military escalation and intensive mutual shelling between Turkish-backed armed Syrian factions and government forces with Russian support.
The de-escalation zone in northwest Syria is subject to a Russian-Turkish ceasefire agreement signed in March 2020; however, the area witnesses frequent mutual bombardment despite the entry of the ceasefire into force.