Over the past several days, Russian warplanes have carried out a series of airstrikes in southern Idlib province, Syria.
The #RuAF bombed yesterday for the first time in a year #Idlib (Jabal al-Zawiya), an area identified with the rebels #Syria pic.twitter.com/u4awPWy9sm
— Middle East Update (@islamicworldupd) May 27, 2023
On May 27, strikes were carried out on the village of Fleifel, geoconfirmed by Chris Osieck at 35.588956, 36.456804. Russian sources claim that the strikes targeted a Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) command center and drone facility, resulting in eight causalities.
???? Pro-Turkish militants in Idlib were attacked by the Russian Aerospace Forces. https://t.co/je8kIWIlMm pic.twitter.com/2BhrzG2log
— Sinnaig (@Sinnaig) May 30, 2023
On May 30, strikes were carried out on a home near Bazabur, which was also geoconfirmed by Chris Osieck at 35.767767, 36.615073. Russian sources also claimed that this was an HTS target, but did not specifically mention a number of casualties.
Local media and aid groups, however, have asserted that the strike targeted a civilian home, adding that one civilian riding nearby on a motorcycle was wounded.
Today, Tuesday, May 30, a boy was injured by shrapnel from aerial bombardment by Russian warplanes, targeting a house on the outskirts of the village of Bazabour in the southern countryside of #Idlib, #Syria.#whitehelmets pic.twitter.com/7jtZqAzhaM
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) May 30, 2023
While unconfirmed, some suspect that the ramp up in strikes in recent days is in retaliation for the death of Russian Colonel Oleg Pitchvesti, who was killed last week during an HTS attack on a Russian command post in Latakia.
