Damascus, Nov 18: The Syrian forces on Saturday thwarted a rebel drone attack in the northern region by destroying four drones, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The Syrian forces in the northern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib intercepted the attack, which the ministry said was intended to strike villages and the military positions of the government in the region.
Over the past month, Syrian and Russian forces have intensified targeted strikes on rebel groups in northern Syria, particularly in the northwestern province of Idlib, to retaliate the latter’s drone attacks on government-controlled areas.
A rebel drone attack in early October killed over 80 military personnel and civilians during a graduation event at a military academy in the Syrian province of Homs.
Earlier this month, the Syrian and Russian forces announced that they had killed more than 630 “terrorists” in Idlib within a month in retaliation for the military academy drone attack.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, previously known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, has controlled a large swathe of Idlib and is believed to be responsible for the repeated drone attacks on government positions in northern Syria. (UNI)