Terrorists Are Planning To Attack Russia’s Hmeimim Air Base In Syria With Dozens Of Drones

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Russia has information that terrorists are plotting an attack on Hmeimim Air Base, the headquarters of its forces in Syria, with the use of combat and suicide drones, Major General Oleg Yegorov, deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, revealed on November 4.

“According to reports received by the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties, militants of the al-Nusra Front [now known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)] and the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) terrorist groups are plotting an attack on Hmeimim Air Base with the use of combat and suicide drone drones,” the Russian officer said.

Both HTS and the TIP are active in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, only a few dozen kilometers away from Hmeimim Air Base which is located on the coast line of Lattakia.

According to Maj. Gen. Yegorov, terrorists have assembled and equipped a great number of drones with a range of action of up to 70 kilometers at workshops near the town of Kherbet Eljoz in the western countryside of Idlib.

“Under a presumed plan of terrorists, the drones are tasked to divert Russian air defense systems and hit Hmeimim Air Base airbase facilities,” he said.

Hmeimim Air Base is protected by a complex air defense network. Still, HTS and its allies have attacked the air base with makeshift drones on several occasions since 2018. The most recent attack was on July 20. Back then, Russian air defenses intercepted two drones that approached the base.

Following the last attack, the Russian Aerospace Forces targeted several drone workshops, storage and training facilities of HTS and its allies in Greater Idlib. Dozens of makeshift drones were destroyed along with their control and launch stations. The terrorist group also lost many of its drone experts and operators.

A large-scale drone attack on Hmeimim Air Base would jeopardize the ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than two years ago.

The Russian military grouping in Syria is already taking measures to stop any attack on Hmeimim Air Base. As of November 5, Russian warplanes and drones are very active over Greater Idlib. HTS and its allies will likely pay dearly if they decided to go on with their plans and attack the air base or any other Russian or Syrian target.

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