FTO activities in Syria
Throughout June, the ceasefire in the Idlib de-escalation zone, established with the participation of Russia and Turkey from March 6, 2020, formally continued.
On June 24, it was announced that the day before the militants of Ha’yat Tahrir ash-Sham (HTS) and the Islamic Party of Turkestan, using unmanned aerial vehicles, dropped six explosive devices in the areas of the settlements of Kardakh, Btarin, Ammurin, Deir Shamil and Tell -Salhab in the governorates of Latakia and Hama. As a result of terrorist attacks, one local resident was killed and one child was injured.
On June 25, aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces attacked jihadist targets in Idlib governorate. The airstrike was carried out in the Jisr ash-Shugur district HTS militants launched drones from. As a result of the strikes, four command posts of illegal armed formations and four warehouses with weapons and ammunition were destroyed, 65 militants were eliminated.
According to foreign media, the aircraft of the Syrian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Forces continued destroying terrorist targets in Idlib governorate on June 28 and 29.
On June 28, the Syrian Armed Forces, in cooperation with the Russian military, attacked the positions of terrorist groups in Idlib governorate. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of the SAR. According to them, “in response to repeated daily attacks by terrorist groups on civilians in residential areas of Hama governorate, the Syrian Armed Forces, in cooperation with friendly Russian forces, delivered precision air and missile strikes against the fortified headquarters of terrorists in the Jabal al-Arbain district in Idlib governorate. As a result of the strikes, as the agency states, the headquarters of the militants were “completely destroyed”, and “dozens of terrorists were eliminated or injured.”
In turn, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that precision strikes by Russian aircraft would continue until the complete elimination of the militants involved in the provocations in the Idlib governorate.
During the month, low-intensity fighting was noted in a number of governorates of the country.
On June 25, at least four police officers were killed in an attack by unknown terrorists in Deraa governorate. This was reported by the SANA agency, citing a source in the police department. According to them, another policeman was injured. The terrorists set up an ambush near the city of Deraa. The policemen who came under fire were heading to a training center in the city of Tafas.
On June 12, two members of the Syrian internal security forces were killed in an attack by unknown people in Al Quneitra governorate. This was reported by the SANA agency. According to them, the incident occurred in the village of Nabaa el-Sahr. Unidentified armed men riding a motorcycle opened fire on the security forces “while they were fulfilling their national duty.”
On June 7, it was announced that the Syrian army, in cooperation with a Russian group, destroyed 20 militants and 30 shelters of illegal armed groups in Homs governorate during a special operation. Most likely, those were the Islamic State militants operating in this province.
On June 18, at least three Syrian army soldiers were killed and six were injured in an explosion in Homs governorate. This was reported by Sham-FM Syrian radio station. According to their source, an improvised explosive device went off on a bus carrying Syrian soldiers. The vehicle was moving along the highway connecting the village of Mushrifa with the capital of the governorate, the city of Homs.
On June 22, two civilians, including a minor, were killed and three others were injured in Hama governorate in an attack carried out by terrorist groups present in the neighboring Idlib governorate. According to the SANA news agency, militants used a drone to attack a residential area in the city of Salhab. As a result, the child died on the spot, and four victims with shrapnel wounds of varying severity were hospitalized. One of the victims died in the hospital.