© Sputnik / Iliya Pitalev
Militants from the Al-Nusra Front terror organization have attacked Syrian army positions in Idlib de-escalation zone near Abu-Duhur and Abu-Sharjah settlements.
The terrorists' offensive near Abu-Sharjah settlement was thwarted by Syrian Army's fire and the terrorists withdrew to their original positions, the Russian Defence Ministry's Reconciliation Centre for Syria reported."Jabhat al-Nusra gangs have simultaneously attacked positions of government troops near Abu-Duhur and Abu-Sharjah settlements," the Reconciliation Center's head Lt. Gen. Sergei Solomatin said.
Solomatin added that the terrorists had "penetrated the Syrian army's defense at a depth of up to 1.5 kilometers [0.9 miles] but were then stopped by the fire [of the Syrian army] and pushed back beyond the contact line."
"The militant attack near the Abu-Sharjah settlement was thwarted by the fire of the units of the Syrian Armed Forces. Having suffered losses, terrorists withdrew to their original positions," Solomatin said.
The Russian Reconciliation Center is in contact with Turkey, which is being informed in a rapid manner about the situation in Idlib settlements attacked by militants, he noted.
Comment: RT has published more
details of the attack:
Hundreds of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists on board dozens of armored trucks with mounted machine guns have tried to breach Syrian army positions in a mass coordinated attack in the Idlib de-escalation zone, the Russian military said.
Two groups of al-Nusra militants numbering up to 200 fighters each attacked Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positions in the Abu al-Duhur and Abu Sharja communities in Idlib, the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria said.
Jihadists sent a suicide bomber squad to breach SAA defenses in the Abu al-Duhur area, but an anti-tank missile eliminated the explosive-laden car just before the death-mobile could strike the front line of the government forces. Government forces scrambled to repel the charge, but despite their resistance, the terrorists briefly managed to penetrate 1.5 kilometers past the army's defense line before being pushed back by the reinforcements that arrived to counter their intrusion.
The Russian Defence Ministry has since responded, stating that these provocations threaten the Russian air base:
"The current situation around Idlib is of serious concern. The situation in this de-escalation zone is rapidly deteriorating. The territory has actually been taken under the full control of militants from the al-Nusra alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham", Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, adding that the provocations posed serious danger to civilians and Syrian troops in the area, as well as to the Russian Hmeymim air base.
Earlier in the day, Moscow addressed Ankara, informing the Turkish side about the situation in Idlib, where settlements and Syrian troops are being attacked by militants.
Comment: RT has published more details of the attack: The Russian Defence Ministry has since responded, stating that these provocations threaten the Russian air base: