Russian Air Force targets militants in Syria’s Idlib at request of Turkish military

Russia’s Air Force has carried out four strikes in Idlib province, Syria’s last jihadist stronghold, after Turkey asked for help in ensuring the safety of its troops in the area, the Defense Ministry said.

The Turkish side provided the coordinates of “terrorists in Idlib” to the Russian military after Turkish troops came under fire from Al-Nusra-linked militants, leaving three servicemen injured.

“As a result, large concentrations of militants and field artillery positions from which the Turkish observation post had been shelled were destroyed,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Both countries are currently working towards implementing a full ceasefire in the jihadist-controlled province. Just two weeks ago, Moscow reported that militants operating in Idlib fired more than a dozen missiles at Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base, all of which were intercepted mid-air.

Idlib and its surroundings in northwestern Syria is the last remaining large pocket of resistance against the Syrian government. Various jihadist groups hold ground there, with the most powerful being the Al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly known as Al-Nusra Front).

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