The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

15 days after the last targeting, drones attack the main Russian military base in Syria and air defenses counter them

Latakia Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: Several explosions shook after midnight of yesterday Jableh area in Latakia countryside, it was caused by a new attack by drones on the main base of the Russians in Syria –Hmeimim Airbase– where the Russian air defenses countered them and the Syrian Observatory has not received any casualties so far, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 26th of June 2019 that several violent explosions were heard in Jableh area in Latakia countryside after midnight of yesterday, they were caused by a drone attack targeted Hmeimim airbase, the largest military base of the Russians in Syria, where the Air defenses responded to the attacks, but no information about casualties yet, also a similar attack was carried out on the airport on the 19th of May 2019, while the Syrian Observatory published that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored massive explosions hit Jableh area dawn of today, Saturday, the 18th of May 2019, it turned out to be caused by an attack of drones and missiles at Hmeimim Airbase, which is taken by the Russian forces as their major military base in Syria, coincided with the interception by the Russian defenses to this new ground and aerial attack by the jihadi groups, but no information about casualties until now, and in the same context, more than 15 rocket shells were launched by the jihadi groups at dawn and morning of today targeted the villages of al-Sharashir, al-Hwaiz, and other places in the countryside of Jableh city causing casualties, where a member of the regime forces was killed in Sharashir and others were injured in both villages, while the Syrian Observatory published on the 6th of May 2019 that new explosions shook after midnight of yesterday and dawn of today Jableh area in the countryside of Latakia province, and sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the explosions were caused by a new missile targeting by the jihadi groups for Hmeimim airbase, which is the largest base of Russia within the Syrian territory, where the Russian defenses intercepted the missiles, and some of them landed on the surrounding agricultural lands and the villages of al-Qbiseh and Bkhadramu, but no information about casualties yet, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 2nd of May 2019 that violent explosions shook Jableh area in the countryside of Latakia province on the dawn of the 2nd second day of May 2019, and sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the explosions were caused by missile targeting by the jihadi groups for Hmeimim Airbase -the largest Russian base in Syria,- where the Russian defenses intercepted the missiles and no information until now about human or material losses, and this is the third targeting of its kind within 7 days, and in the same context, the Syrian Observatory monitored the fall of some missiles launched by the Jihadi groups on the countryside of Jableh city and its outskirts which caused casualties, where a person was killed and four others were injured including 2 women, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 28th of April 2019, that the violent Explosions shook at dawn of Sunday Jableh area in the countryside of Latakia province, several intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the explosions were caused by targeting by the air defenses for drones which were trying to target Hmeimim Airbase, the largest Russian military base in Syria, but no information about the volume of losses until the moment, and this attack comes after a similar attack too k place about 48 hours ago, where the Syrian Observatory published on Monday morning that violent explosions were heard in Jableh area in the countryside of Latakia at dawn on Friday, the 26th of April 2019, and the intersecting sources confirmed that the explosions were caused by missile targeting by Jihadi groups at Hmeimim military airfield, where the Russian Forces use of as their major military base in Syria, where the airport’s defenses intercepted the missiles which tried to target the largest military base of the Russians in Syria, but no information yet about the material damage or casualties after this targeting, which comes after about 3 months of the last targeting, where the Syrian Observatory published on the 27th of January 2019 that explosions were heard in Jableh area in Latakia countryside, and several intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the explosions were caused by targeting by the air defenses for unidentified objects in the airspace of Hmeimim Airbase, which is the largest Russian military base in Syria, it is believed that the air defenses targeted a drone while it was trying to target the airbase, but the material damage or losses caused by the attack were not known. This comes after about two months for the last targeting of Hmeimim area, where the Syrian Observatory published on the 28th of November 2018 that explosions rocked Jableh area in Latakia countryside, intersected sources informed the Syrian Observatory that it was caused by targeting by the air defenses to a drone that was flying in the airspace of Hmeimim Military Airbase, which is taken by the Russian forces as their main base on the Syria territory, where this is the first attack since the 29th of July 2018, and it is also the 18th attack since the start of attacks by drones on Hmeimim Military Airbase in early 2018, while this attack comes about 36 hours after several explosions which shook the southeastern countryside of Homs after midnight of Tuesday – Wednesday, they were caused by aerial attacks by drones that targeted al-Shayrat airbase, which is under the control of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them in the area, amid targeting by the air defenses for these drones, but no information yet about casualties, and this is the first time that al-Shayrat airbase goes under to attacks of this kind.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 6th of August 2018, that between the visit of one of the most prominent sponsors in Syria and between Sochi conference which complements the series of Astana meetings; rounds of alert and aerial attacks followed by calm prevail Hmeimim Airbase in Jableh area in the countryside of the coastal province of Latakia, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored calm in Hmeimim Airbase area, in conjunction with the round of “Astana 10”, which is taking place in the Russian city of Sochi, between delegations of the opposition and the regime and in the presence of the Russians, Iranians, and the Turks, which is considered a continuation of the calm of that has been prevailing the area since the 29th of July 2018, the date of the last aerial attack on Hmeimim Airbase.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented 17 attacks carried out through drones, some of which were able to target Hmeimim Airbase and cause material damage and destruction in equipment, but others failed as a result of the targeting by the air defenses that are responsible for the protection and security of the Airbase, and among the total number of attacks there are at least 13 attacks targeted the Airbase during July 2018, while the early targeting was on the 6th of January 2018, also missile shelling targeted the Airbase area in late December 2017 after the visit of Putin for the area on 11th of December 2017, during which he met the Russian officers supervising the military operations in Syria, and also met the Syrian president, and attending a military parade inside the Airbase, also sources suggested that this calm in Hmeimim Airbase area is linked to the process of pushing Russia to the negotiating table, and securing a negotiable climate with better terms, even though the opposing factions did not claim responsibility of any aerial attack, despite the Russian accusations against opposition factions in Idlib and Latakia mountains, of carrying out these attack to destabilize and disperse the Russian Forces and to put them on successive alerts within the Airbase area, and within areas of presence of the Russian Forces in other areas.