Alwaght – The Russian fighter jets reportedly have struck terrorists positions in Syria's Idlib on Monday, marking the first time in several weeks that they have targeted the northwestern province.
Led by an air squadron from the Hmeimim Airport in Latakia, the Russian jets repeatedly struck the terrorists positions last night in the Jisr Al-Shughur District of Idlib, Al Masdar News reported.
The news portal cited a military source as saying that the Russian Air Force specifically targeted the positions of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (former al-Qaeda) and the Turkestan Islamic Party west of Jisr Al-Shughur city.
The reason for the airstrikes is still unknown at this time because neither the Syrian nor Russian forces have commented on the attack.
Under a deal reached between Turkey and Russia on September 17, all militants in the demilitarized zone, which surrounds Idlib and also parts of the adjacent provinces of Aleppo and Hama, must pull out heavy arms by Wednesday, and Takfiri groups must withdraw by October 15.
The agreement has so far held off a government offensive on Idlib, the last major terrorist stronghold in Syria.
If the militants refuse to withdraw from the buffer zone in the coming days, then the Syrian Arab Army will launch their long-awaited operation in the eastern countryside of the Idlib Governorate.
