Syrian Army Foils Attack By Suicide Bombers, Downs Drones In Western Aleppo (Video, Photos)

© Sputnik / Iliya Pitalev

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) foiled an attack by terrorist groups and shot down several drones in the western countryside of Aleppo on December 7, according to Damascus’ Ministry of Defense.

Dozens of terrorists were killed or wounded while taking part in the failed attack, the ministry said in a statement, noting that the bodies of some of them were captured. While the ministry didn’t specify where the attack took place, video footage that surfaced online in the morning showed heavy clashes near the 46th Regiment base.

The ministry released photos showing three of the captured bodies as well as the wreckage of seven drones which were shot down by SAA air defenses over the western Aleppo countryside.

Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the de-facto ruler of the Greater Idlib region, claimed responsibility for the failed attack. The terrorist group said in a statement that the attack was led by suicide bombers from one of its elite units.

The attack came following a wave of escalation that began with a drone attack that targeted the annual graduation ceremony at the Syrian Military Academy near the city of Homs on October 5. The attack claimed the lives of 89 civilians and service members and left more than 277 other wounded.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the drone attack. However, evidence indicates that HTS or one of its allies was responsible.

Despite recent escalation, the ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than three years ago, is still holding up.

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