On June 6, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) shelled militants’ positons in the southern part of the so-called Greater Idlib region.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the shelling targeted the towns of Hantoteen, al-Ruwaihah and Benin. The three towns are located in the eastern part of the al-Zawiya mount.
“[The shelling] coincided with the flight of a Russian warplane and reconnaissance aircraft [drones] in the airspace of Idlib countryside,” the monitoring group said in a report.
Several opposition activists confirmed that Russian warplanes and drones were unusually active over Greater Idlib today.
Earlier this week, Turkish-backed militants declared the al-Zawiya a military zone. The militants are reportedly bracing for an upcoming attack by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies.
The SAA could launch a large-scale military operation to reopen the M4 highway, which links the cities of Lattakia and Aleppo. Turkey committed to reopen the highway under the March 5 agreement with Russia. However, the highway is still closed.