Russian fighter jets on Friday carried out airstrikes for the third time in under a week against Zawiya Mountain areas in northwestern Syria, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
The airstrikes coincided with reports of a long-range surface-to-surface missile also hitting Idlib city.
“A violent explosion hit the city of Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other Syrian factions,” the Observatory said.
“The explosion was caused by a long-range surface-to-surface missile believed to be fired by Syrian regime forces and Russians,” it added, reporting the arrival of ambulances to the scene.
The missile fell west of the city of Idlib near Idlib prison.
As for the campaign of airstrikes mounted by Russian fighter jets, they targeted Al-Bara and Ihssim cities located near Zawiya Mountain in the southern Idlib countryside.
The air raids took place alongside extensive shelling by the regime forces. Rocket-propelled grenades were fired against the villages and towns of Sarja, Benin and Deir Sunbul in the southern Idlib countryside.
According to the Observatory, this is the third time in under seven days that Russian fighter jets target Zawiya Mountain areas.
Local activists, on Tuesday, told the Observatory that Russian airstrikes on Idlib province rose to five, targeting the outskirts of the towns of Benin and Shenan.
On November 7, Observatory sources also reported Russian jets carrying out about 15 raids, targeting each of Serja, Shenan, Farkia, Benin and Ihssim.
In other news, Syrian opposition news network “Eldorar Al-Shamiya” reported on opposition fighters repelling on Friday night an infiltration attempt by Syrian regime force in southern Idlib.
Dozens of regime forces were killed and injured in the opposition ambush, the network reported.
HTS-linked Ibaa news agency confirmed the reports, adding that rebels stopped infiltration of regime forces at al-Fatira town near Zawiya Mountain.
“The factions surrounded the infiltrators and killed a number of them before they were able to withdraw,” Ibaa reported.
