Russian jets swarm western Idlib as Syrian Army troops strike jihadist positions

BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:30 P.M.) – The Russian Air Force was seen all over the western countryside of the Idlib Governorate on Wednesday, as their jets buzzed areas like Jisr al-Shughour along the Turkish border.

According to a field report from the Idlib Governorate, the Russian Air Force was flying over areas under the control of the hardline militant groups like the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), and Hurras Al-Deen.

Some opposition activists claimed that the Russian Air Force launched airstrikes; however, a Syrian Arab Army (SAA) source said there were no recorded attacks.

At the same time, the Syrian Arab Army launched their own attack over the Idlib countryside, targeting the movements of the jihadist rebels and Turkish-backed groups.

The Syrian Arab Army reportedly targeted several areas around the southern countryside of Idlib, including the militant gathering points at the town of Al-Bara’a, which is just north of Kafr Nabl.

Tensions in the Idlib Governorate have recently increased after the jihadist rebels of Hurras Al-Deen carried out an ambush that killed over 30 Syrian Arab Army soldiers in the Al-Ghaab Plain.