Bomb has detonated part of a Russian military convoy in Syria
DAMASCUS, ($1=1,257.86 Syrian Pounds) – Just days after a Russian Orion 10 drone was shot down by Turkish air defenses near the Turkish-Syrian border, a Russian convoy was attacked by a bomb on the peacekeepers’ route, learned BulgarianMilitary.com, citing its field sources.
The attack took place today, October 25, along the route of the convoy in the area of Um al-Mayadin, Daraa province, where the Russians are supporting the Syrian Arab army, in timid attempts to stop the fighting that has been going on for months in the area. According to the Aviapro news agency, which also confirmed the news, there was a bomb detonated from a distance and at least one vehicle of the Russian military was detonated. There are no reports of casualties.
Russian analysts point out that it was not far off when some guerrilla groups in southwestern Syria were backed by Jordanians and Israelis. However, the prevailing opinion is that the attack was carried out by the terrorist group Sarai Kasiyun, which is known to be funded by Turkey. However, no conclusions can be drawn, military experts say, recommending waiting for the Russian military to investigate the incident and process intelligence about active groups in the area.
Russian convoy was also attacked in September
As we reported on September 10 a Russian convoy of humanitarian aid, guarded by armored vehicles, was attacked on its route to the outskirts of the Syrian city of Homs.
According to Russian sources, the terrorists are from a wing of the Islamic State. There was probably a leak of information from the Russian headquarters, as the convoy was moving on a completely new route, and the truck was detonated by an explosive device on the road remotely.
A Russian officer was killed in the blast. This is 45-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Alexei Schneider. He was initially seriously injured, but field medical efforts to save his life failed. The video shows that the damage to the truck is mainly in its running gear.
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.
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