Syria | Russian warplanes kill 200 militants, Ministry says – VIDEO

Defence Redefined

Published on 20/04/2021 at 10:38

Russian Defence Ministry said Monday it had killed “up to 200 militants” in Syria during air strikes on a “terrorist” base northeast of Palmyra, where fighters were planning attacks ahead of next month’s presidential election.

“After confirming data through multiple channels on the location of terrorist facilities, Russian Air Force aircraft carried out air strikes,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Two hideouts, up to 200 militants, 24 trucks with large-caliber machine guns and about 500 kilograms of ammunition and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were destroyed,” the ministry said in a statement.

The announcement did not specify the date of the attacks, nor the team that was targeted. The target was said to be a “camouflaged base” where “terrorist groups” were carrying out attacks in Syria and manufacturing explosives.

Specifically, “terrorist attacks and attacks on government agencies in major cities were planned in order to destabilize the situation in the country in the run-up to the presidential elections in Syria,” the ministry said.

Also read: Syria | Dozens of opposition fighters killed in Russian airstrike – Photos & VIDEO

The vote, which will take place on May 26, is the second since the beginning of the conflict in Syria that broke out in 2011 with the suppression of anti-government protests, which left more than 388,000 dead.

Elections are expected to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power in Syria. Russia has been a key ally of the Assad regime throughout the war and Moscow’s military intervention in 2015 has helped turn the tide of war in favor of the regime.

Russian Defence Ministry said Monday that “terrorists” were being trained in various camps in areas not controlled by the Syrian regime, including the US-controlled al-Tanf area.”

Moscow condemned US attacks in February on Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria, urging Washington to respect the country’s territorial integrity.

The then Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia wanted to know about Washington’s plans in Syria and argued that the United States had no plans to ever withdraw from the country.

Also read:  The first US air strikes in Syria signed by Biden administration – MAP