2712070 10/04/2015 Russian servicemen attach a Kh-25 high-precision missile to a Su-24 aircraft at the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Dmitriy Vinogradov/RIA Novosti
One of the targets of the August 31 Russian airstrikes on Greater Idlib in northwestern Syria was a drone base of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of the region.
On September 1, Russian source shared a video documenting the pinpoint airstrike on the base, which is located in the outskirts of the town of Sarjah in the southern countryside of Idlib. The video, which was captured by a Russian drone, shows a group of HTS militants launching a makeshift drone then retreating to the base, just a few minutes before it was struck by a Russian fighter jet.
HTS didn’t acknowledge any losses after the airstrike. However, the video shows that the base was crowded with militants. Russian sources claimed that the strike claimed the lives of as many as 30 militants.
The terrorist group was reportedly manufacturing and storing makeshift suicide drones in the base. These drones were used to target Syrian military positions around Greater Idlib, as well as Russian bases.
Last July, Russian air defenses intercepted two makeshift suicide drones that attempted to attack Hmeimim Air Base on the Syrian coast. The drones were reportedly launched from Greater Idlib by HTS militants.
According to Russian sources, HTS drone base in Sarjah was located thanks to information provided by the Turkish military, who maintains a fairly large presence Greater Idlib. If confirmed, this would be a major development in counter-terrorism cooperation between Ankara and Moscow.
It’s worth noting that the last wave of Russian airstrikes on Greater Idlib also targeted the remains of a food preservation plant in the western outskirts of Idlib city center, which HTS used as a headquarters.
The Russian Aerospace Forces escalated its combat operation against HTS in the last few months in response to ceasefire violations by the terrorist group. The ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than two years ago, is barely holding up due to the group’s provocative behavior.
