Russia Raids Camps on Syrian-Turkish Border

Arab World

October 31st, 9:53am

Idlib – Firas Karam

Displaced citizens during the Russian raids north of Syria, near the Turkish border (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Russian jets raided areas in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, including Syrian displacements camps and former military headquarters of the armed Syrian opposition. Anas Kaddour, an official at the Idlib News Center, reported that the Russian warplanes carried out on Saturday eight airstrikes, with high-explosive missiles on Salwa and Qah, north of Idlib, which are about six kilometers from the Turkish border. He indicated that the area contains more than 14 camps for displaced persons, noting that shrapnel from one of the missiles fell on a tent, injuring a child. Kaddour also announced that the Russian fighters raided a mountain hill near the Salwa area, hosting the former headquarters of the Turkish-backed Syrian armed opposition factions without causing any casualties. Russia has expanded its bombing targets to include camp areas, housing thousands of displaced people from different regions of Syria who left their homes due to military operations by Russia and the regime. Opposition activist Samer al-Amin said that the Russian airstrikes over areas in northern Syria near the Turkish border aim to provoke Ankara, forcing it to make concessions. He also noted that these attacks against the military headquarters of Turkey-backed factions, vital centers in cities within the de-escalation zone, and refugee camps on the border show that Ankara is incapable of preventing attacks against civilians within its areas of influence. He pointed out that 45 air raids were executed over the de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria during October. Amin also reported that the regime forces and Iranian-backed militias carried out over 190 ground attacks in various areas of the Idlib governorate, killing 21 civilians, including seven children, six during the Jericho massacre, and a child in the attack over the “widows’ camp,” north of Idlib. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the regime forces and Iranian militias exchanged shelling with the opposition factions at the axes of the al-Ruwaiha area, south of Idlib, accompanied by Russian reconnaissance. SOHR reported an exchange of shelling in the Idlib countryside with heavy weaponry, where Turkish artillery units stationed in the east of Sermin city shot regime positions in Saraqib. Regime forces responded by shelling the perimeter of a Turkish post in Saan village in western Saraqib city. Furthermore, ISIS carried out three sudden attacks targeting members of the Iraqi Hezbollah, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and groups affiliated with the regime forces in the eastern countryside of Hama. The attack resulted in the death of nine members and the injury of several others. A source told Asharq Al-Awsat that a sudden attack by groups affiliated with ISIS on Friday evening targeted a military site of the Iraqi Hezbollah militia near the Uqayribat and Hammadi el-Omr area, killing four of its members and wounding others. He also indicated that two other separate ISIS attacks targeted military vehicles belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah and other vehicles belonging to the regime forces near Palmyra, east of Homs. Violent clashes erupted between the two, during which five were killed, and two cars were destroyed. He pointed out that Lebanese Hezbollah's military vehicles were targeted while transporting a number of its members, vehicles, and ammunition from the Sukhna area, east of Palmyra, towards Jabal al-Qalamoun on the Syrian-Lebanese border.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276936/russia-raids-camps-syrian-turkish-border