Central Syria: Russian Airstrikes Hit Caves, Dens Used by ISIS

DISCLOSURE: Sourced from Russian government funded media

SF: On February 5, a new wave of Russian airstrikes targeted caves an dens in Syria’s central region where cells of ISIS had been hiding.

The terrorists’ hideouts were reportedly located in the eastern countryside of Homs as well as in the Hama-Aleppo-Raqqa triangle.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the Russian airstrikes inflicted human losses on ISIS cells. However, the London-based monitoring group didn’t provide any details.

According to the SOHR, Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) warplanes have carried out more than 85 airstrikes on ISIS cells in central Syria since the start of February. During January, more than 674 Russian airstrikes hit the region.

Around 20 Russian airstrikes targeted ISIS terrorists, equipment and hideouts in the outskirts of the town of al-Resafa in the southern countryside of Syria’s Raqqa on February 3 and 4. The airstrikes were a response to an attack on oil shipment that was heading from oil fields held by the Syrian Democratic Forces to government-held areas.

The VKS has been supporting Syrian government forces fight against ISIS cells in the central region for a few years now. The terrorist group’s insurgency in the region will not likely end anytime soon. However, the group’s threat remains contained.

On February 6, a new wave of Russian airstrikes hit the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib where several terrorist groups are active.

The airstrikes targeted the outskirts of the town of Kafer Shalaya in the southern countryside of Idlib. The town is located some 14 kilometers away from one of the main frontlines with Syrian government forces.

الطيران الحربي الروسي يستهدف اماكن انتشار "الجماعات المسلحة" في محيط بلدة كفرشلايا بجبل الزاوية بريف إدلب الجنوبي pic.twitter.com/1WWNhBTudX

— ملك السلطنه (@jamlyyyyy_) February 6, 2022

Russian warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on Kafer Shalaya and the nearby town of al-Rami on February 3. The airstrikes took place a few hours after a US counter-terrorism raid that ended with the death of ISIS top leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.

The recent Russian airstrikes on Greater Idlib were likely just a response to violations of the ceasefire in the region, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than a year ago. In the last few days, several minor ceasefire violations by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of Greater Idlib, and its allies were reported.

Despite many violations, the ceasefire in Greater Idlib is still holding up. The situation in the region, where a large Turkish force is deployed, will not likely change any time soon.

On February 5, a suicide drone crashed in the outskirts of the Kurdish-held town of Baylouniyah in the northern countryside of Syria’s Aleppo.

The primitive drone, which was made out of commercially-available parts, was reportedly launched by Turkish-backed militants who occupy vast parts of the northern Aleppo countryside. The drone was armed with a rocket-propelled grenade and a hand grenade.

The target of the drone, which crashed as a result of a technical failure, was likely a position of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)

The SDF and Turkish forces have been exchanging blows in northern and northeastern Syria for the last few days. Both side sustained human and material losses.

An interesting drone belonging to the TFSA has crashed in Baylouniyah, northern Aleppo. Seems like a suicide drone. Pictures from the Afrin Liberation Forces. pic.twitter.com/7bXIrZe40r

— Woofers (@NotWoofers) February 5, 2022

Turkish-backed militants in the northern Aleppo countryside have been attempting to field suicide drones for a few years now, with zero success.

Less than three years ago, Syrian government forces shot down a primitive suicide drone that was launched by Turkish-backed militants over the town of Shaykh Isa in the northeastern Aleppo countryside.