Turkey cooperated in Russian strike against HTS in Syria’s Idlib – Russian outlet
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A Russian Telegram channel said on September 1, Turkish forces provided information to the Russian air force regarding the location of a military base affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), south of Idlib in northwestern Syria.
Russian Telegram channel Operation Z, specialized in military reports, said in a post that the Russian air force destroyed the group’s base, which was used by HTS to manufacture drones and carry out their operations against the Russian-controlled Khmeimim Air Base in western Syria.
After figuring out the location of the HTS base, which was nestled near the town of Arihah in southern Idlib, Turkish intelligence handed their findings to the Russian forces in Syria, the telegram post said.
The drone-manufacturing base was destroyed and more than 30 militants were killed in the Russian strike, according to the channel.
The post said that the information received by the Turkish intelligence come within the framework of a joint agreement stipulating cooperation between the two countries on fighting terrorism in Syria, noting that this agreement was reached in the bilateral meeting between the Russian and Turkish presidents in August 5.
Using this base, the post said, the HTS also attacked positions of Syrian government forces and residential complexes in the city of Saraqib, southeast of Idlib, and the village of Ma’ar Shoreen, southeast Arihah.
On July 20, a spokesman for the Russian forces in Syria said that they had shot down two drones that had targeted the Khmeimim Air Base in western Syria.