Syrian Army Hits HTS Positions Near Idlib City With Ballistic Missiles (Photos)
On November 3, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) launched two OTR-21 Tochka tactical ballistic missiles at the northwestern region of Greater Idlib, which is occupied by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and several other terrorist groups.
The missiles hit the western outskirts of Idlib city, where several headquarters, ammunition depots and training camps of HTS are known to be located. Three people were allegedly wounded.
The Soviet-made Tochka has a range between 70 and 185 kilometers depending on the variant. It is well-known for his high-accuracy, as it has a circular error probable of less than 70 meters. The missiles used in the attack on the western outskirts of Idlib city was armed with a cluster warhead. This variant is usually used to target gatherings of manpower and equipment.
The missile strike was likely a response to an attack that targeted SAA troops in the western Aleppo countryside a day earlier.
Turkish-backed militants allied to HTS struck a military vehicle near the town of al-Shekh Aqeel with an anti-tank guided missile, killing or wounding several soldiers. The attack was a blatant violation of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey more than two years ago.
The Russian Aerospace Forces could deliver a harsher response to the attack in the upcoming few days, if not hours. Russian warplanes have already carried out a series of mock airstrikes over the northern and western countryside of Aleppo.
The SAA and its allies will likely continue to respond with brute force to any violations of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib in order to keep HTS deterred.
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