Army reports Russian jets supporting Syrian counteroffensive

(MENAFN) Russian fighter jets have launched airstrikes targeting jihadist militants attacking Aleppo in northern Syria, according to the Russian military. The offensive, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied militias, broke a fragile truce brokered by Russia and Turkey in 2020. Russian Aerospace Forces have conducted missile and bomb strikes on terrorist positions, including command posts, artillery, and weapon caches, killing at least 200 militants in the last 24 hours, with 400 more reported casualties the previous day.

HTS claimed control over 400 square kilometers of territory in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, seizing heavy weaponry from Syrian forces. Social media videos showed HTS militants moving through Aleppo in both armored vehicles and on foot. The Syrian government stated that its forces inflicted significant losses on the attackers and regained control of several areas. Russian intervention in the Syrian Civil War began in 2015, assisting the Assad government against groups like al-Nusra, which later rebranded as HTS. Despite agreements, fighting persists in Idlib, with Turkey overseeing the region since 2018.

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