Russians hit pro-Turkish forces with thermobaric bombs in Syria [video]
DAMASCUS, ($1=1,257.86 Syrian Pounds) – Sources of BulgarianMilitary.com report that bombings over positions of pro-Turkish and Islamic units have been going on for 48 hours now. The strikes were carried out in the southern part of Idlib with thermobaric bombs*. According to sources, a retreating pro-Turkish convoy and an Islamic camp were hit.
Russia is trying to regain control of a key highway in the M4 region. At the same time, the Syrian Arab Army is gradually returning tens or hundreds of square kilometers of land to the Syrian state’s administrative possession.
According to unconfirmed reports, pro-Turkish and Islamic forces have lost a total of 280 soldiers in the last 48 hours. Nearly 24 hours ago, field sources claimed that dozens of Turkish drones had been spotted in the sky over Idlib. Experts say that such activity is typical when the withdrawal of a military unit has to be covered from the air.
BulgarianMilitary.com reminds you that for many years in this southern part of Idlib the Syrian Arab army has not been active. This suggests that very soon, after the airstrikes by the Russians, heavily armored vehicles of the Syrian army may enter the area. It is assumed that as a result of this action, massive military action will soon begin.
As we reported yesterday, September 8, there are currently two Russian submarines armed with Caliber cruise missiles off the Syrian coast at the Russian naval base in Tartus. Our field source claims that two more Russian submarines of the same class, also armed with the same cruise missiles, went to the port of Tartus. They come from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Thus, Russia currently positions a total of 32 Kaliber cruise missiles.
Military observers in the region suggest that Russia will take a forceful “truce” in Daraa. This will happen through a coordinated attack by air and sea, and Kaliber cruise missiles will be fired from the Tartus naval base.
Currently, Syrian rebels and the opposition are not surrendering in the Daraa area and are fighting the Syrian Arab army. We remind you that this is not the first time that the Russian Navy has used Kaliber cruise missiles in the region. There is confirmed information for the last 12 months that the Russians have attacked ISIS positions with such missiles.
The civil war in Syria
The Syrian civil war has been going on for almost a decade. Attempts by movements such as the Syrian Democratic Forces to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have failed.
The Syrian democratic forces are armed by allies and the United States, while the Syrian army is armed mainly by Russia. Russia is the only country officially invited to Syria by President Bashar al-Assad.
In 2017, the United States launched a massive missile strike on Bashar al-Assad’s forces after a report emerged that the Syrian president had used chemical weapons to attack his people in the country. Syria and Russia deny such actions.
During his tenure, US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw much of US troops from Syria, leaving several troops to guard Syria’s oil fields on the pretext of “falling into the hands of Islamic State.”
With the withdrawal of the United States, Turkey comes to the fore, declaring it necessary to deal with the Kurds and the PKK movement in the northern part of the country, which borders Turkey. That is why Erdogan is sending troops in an attempt to build a stable and secure 30km zone between Syria and Turkey, which will prevent future terrorist attacks on Turkish territory, as it is.
Ceasefire
In February 2020, Turkey lost at least 62 troops killed in Syria. Nearly 100 soldiers were wounded, Syrian-backed forces destroyed dozens of Turkish armored vehicles, and more than ten drones, including drones, were shot down. Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of involvement in the deaths of Turkish soldiers, Russia rejects these allegations.
In early March 2020, the presidents of Russia and Turkey, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed that a ceasefire came into force in the Idlib de-escalation zone. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad later said that if the US and Turkish military did not leave the country, Damascus would use military power.
The reason for the Russian-Turkish negotiations was a sharp aggravation of the situation in Idlib, where in January, a large-scale offensive by the Syrian army against the positions of the armed opposition and terrorists began.
Government forces recaptured nearly half of the Idlib de-escalation zone and left behind several Turkish observation posts. After that, Ankara sharply increased its military contingent in the region and launched the operation “Spring Shield” to push the Syrian troops. Militants are loyal to Ankara and support Turkey.
* The thermobaric weapon is a conventional high-power explosive device. Unlike ordinary explosives, which carry an oxidizer, thermobaric munitions use atmospheric oxygen in an explosion. Other names are vacuum bomb or fuel-air bomb.
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