Syrian opposition forces in the Ghab Plain shelled the Russian military base in Hmeimim airport in the countryside of Lattakia on Thursday. Field activists said the bombing did hit the airport which is packed with Russian aircrafts.
Opposition forces used 130 mm artillery, with an effective range up to 30 km, from positions in the Ghab Plain, which is controlled by Ahrar ash-Sham Islamic Movement and Jaish al-Fatah (Army of Conquest) factions.
Although opposition forces are yet to issue any official statement regarding the attack on the Russian base in Hmeimem yet, Ahrar ash-Sham’s commander, Abu Omar Zubar, told al-Souria Net that "no aircrafts were seen in the sky after the targeting of the airport, which confirms that most of the shells landed inside the airbase."
The targeting of the Russian airbase comes after Moscow increased the number of its aircrafts from 34 to 69.
President Bashar al-Assad's forces retaliated by targeting the villages of al-Akrad and at-Turkman Mounts in the countryside of Lattakia with tens of missiles, causing massive destruction.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
