Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Repels Terrorists’ Attack on Strategic Military Airport in Idlib

The Syrian army continued its advances in different parts of Idlib province in the Northwestern parts of the country, and thwarted an attack by the Takfiri terrorists on Abu Zohour military airport.
The terrorists were pushed back from the surrounding areas of Abu Zohour military airport as they were trying to launch a fresh wave of offensive on army positions at the airport in the Eastern parts of the city of Saraqeb in Idlib countryside.

Abu Zohour Airport located in the Northern parts of Idlib countryside is Syria’s second largest military airport which is located in an area of 8 square kilometers and can accomodate 22 helicopters and Mig fighter jets.

Abu Zohour Airport is located 50 kilometers to the East of the city of Idlib and 63 kilometers from Khan Sheikhoun and 40 kilometers from Ma’aret al-Nauman.

In early 2014, the Syrian army regained full control over the Abu Zohour airport by destroying the militants’ positions in there and its surrounding areas.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army struck a major blow at the armed groups in other parts of Idlib province, killing and injuring a large number of Takfiri militants.

The army troops stormed the hideouts of the militants in the areas Talab and Tall Salmo in Idlib countryside, claiming the lives of scores of them.

Elsewhere, the militants suffered major losses in the towns of al-Misherfe and al-Rastan in Homs, as the army gained ground in the central province.

Meantime, a fighter from the North Caucasus, who has fought with the foreign-backed militants in the Syrian war, was killed in his native Kabardino-Balkaria in the capital Nalchik.

He was reportedly caught during a counter-terrorism operation in the Southwest of the city.

Holed up in a house, the militant shot at members of a special police force, refusing to give himself up, before being “neutralized”.

Intelligence indicates he was being trained by a Takfiri group as a bomber, among other things.

Elsewhere, the Syrian army shot down a spy drone of the Takfiri terrorists in the Northern province of Aleppo on Monday.

The terrorists’ spy drone was downed, while spying on the Syrian army troops redeployment in the village of Sifat in Northeastern Aleppo.

Enemy drone flights over Syria have increased in recent months. In late December, the Syrian army intercepted an Israeli spy plane in the province of Quneitra near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

“The drone was on a spying mission above the town of Hadar when it was shot down,” the Syrian television said.

The Syrian military sources noted that the Israeli drone was a Skylark I.

Israel has struck Syria several times since the start of the latter’s nearly four-year war on terrorist groups.

Skylark I is a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Israel’s Elbit Systems Company.

Skylark I is a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle. It is designed as a manpacked system for tactical surveillance and reconnaissance. Skylark is launched by hand. The payload consists of daylight CCD or optional FLIR for night operations. During operation, it sends real-time video to a portable ground station. Recovery involves a deep stall maneuver, landing on a small inflatable cushion. It has a range of 20/40 km.

Syria has been the scene of insurgency since 2011 when certain western powers and their regional allies voiced loudly that Syrian protests have no diplomatic solution and they started supplying the country’s opposition groups with their arms and funds.

In 2014, specially after victory of President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s presidential election, the army has gained upper hand in its anti-terrorism campaign, and has been partly successful in sealing borders with Turkey and Jordan.