The Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) artillery have eliminated the terrorists responsible for the recent rocket attack on the Hmeimim airbase, the Ministry of Defense of Russia announced on May 8.plus actions in Latakia, where the Russian forces are based:
According to an official statement by the defense ministry, the attack was carried out by terrorist groups known as the Ard al-Bab Brigade and the al-Jabal Brigade. The two groups launched the rockets from the demilitarized zone around Idlib."The artillery recon units had promptly revealed 2 positions of the militants from which the attack was conducted. The firing points were eliminated by the Russian Aerospace Forces' aircraft and the Syrian Government Troops' artillery,The Russian MoD added that the air defense systems in the Hmeimim airbase were able to intercept 12 rockets. Other rockets reportedly landed in civilian areas away from the airbase, causing material damage only.
The rocket attack was likely a response to the SAA's ongoing ground operation in northern Hama. In the last three days, the army captured four areas, including the strategic town of Kafr Nabudah.
In the early hours of May 8, terrorists hiding along the Syrian-Turkish border launched several rockets at the Russian Hmeimim airbase in the western Syrian governorate of Lattakia.
Local sources said that the rockets missed their target and landed in civilian areas away from the airbase. No civilians were reportedly injured or killed.
In what appears to be a response to the rocket attack, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a series of airstrikes on terrorists' positions in the town of Kabani in the northern Lattakia countryside.
Kabani is an infamous stronghold for several terrorist groups, including the al-Qaeda-affiliated Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), Ajnad al-Kavkaz (AK) and Horas al-Din.
A large, well-equipped force of the SAA's 4th Division and the National Defense Forces (NDF) is currently stationed near Kabani. This force could launch a ground attack on the strategic town, if the attacks on Hmeimim went on. Such an attack will likely be a limited operation, similar to the ongoing one in northern Hama.
"Spain will not permit its embassy to be converted into a center of political activity by Mr Lopez, or anyone else," Borrell said on the sidelines of a summit in the Lebanese capital Beirut.
The 48-year-old Lopez, his wife Lilian Tintori, and their daughter have been staying in the Spanish embassy since Wednesday after a failed military coup in the country.
It's unclear how Madrid is going to keep its promise as media reports suggest that Lopez, who has strong links to the US, masterminded the current political crisis in the country despite being under house arrest. He was restricted in July 2017 for inciting violence during the 2014 anti-government protests. The closest ally and mentor of opposition leader and self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido, Lopez will surely enjoy a lot more freedom within the Spanish embassy.
"Lopez has not asked for political asylum because, according to our legislation, for that you must request it while on Spanish territory," Borrell added.
Spain was among the 50 nations that recognized Guaido's claim to power after he declared himself the head of state in January. However, Madrid also never cut official ties with Venezuela's socialist government of Nicolas Maduro.
Comment: In other words, we're leaving, but not really.