In the most powerful attack on terrorists in Syria in recent months, the Russian military destroyed facilities in the province of Idlib, where fighters from foreign private military companies (PMCs) trained militants. This was reported by the Voenkory Russian Spring Telegram channel, close to the Russian Ministry of Defense, citing a military source.
As noted, the attack involved the Su-34 and Su-24M bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) and the Iskander-M operational-tactical complex. The target of the strikes, in particular, was the training camp of the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir ash Sham (banned in Russia), which was located on an area of more than 90 hectares near the town of Maaret-Misrin, north of the town of Idlib.
According to the channel, which previously repeatedly published exclusive photo and video materials about the activities of the Ministry of Defense, more than 300 jihadists were trained in the camp under the guidance of instructors from foreign PMCs. The number of terrorists killed by the Russian attack is currently being specified.
The attack by the Russian military on the positions of the militants in Syria became known on September 15. It was reported to be the largest since March of this year.
The Iskander complex was previously used to strike at the positions of militants and terrorists in Syria, said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Data on the combat use of the Iskander-M complex had not been reported earlier.
The Syrian civil war began in March 2011. The main participants in the conflict are government forces on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, the so-called moderate opposition and Islamist groups. The opposition is supported by the United States and European countries, Russia is helping the Assad government.