RUSSIAN WARPLANES DESTROYED HIDEOUTS OF US PROXIES IN SYRIA’S AL-TANF

Russian warplanes had neutralized a unit of the US-backed al-Qaryatayn Martyrs Brigade near the southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanf where the US-led coalition maintains a large garrison, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on August 5.

The al-Qaryatayn Martyrs Brigade was formed in 2014 with direct support from the US. Before moving to al-Tanf in 2016, the group was active in the deserts of Damascus and Homs. In 2017, the US-led coalition claimed that it had ceased support for the group. However, the group continued to operate in al-Tanf. Over the next two years, many militants of the group left to opposition-held areas in Syria’s northern region.

This was the second Russian attack on US proxies in al-Tanf in recent months. In June, a series of Russian strikes hit positions of the Revolutionary Commando Army (MaT), the US-led coalition’s main proxy in al-Tanf garrison. The strikes were reportedly a response to an attack by MaT militants that resulted in Russian military casualties. The US-led coalition was alerted ahead of the airstrikes, which caused material losses only.

The US-led coalition maintains a 55 kilometers no-fly zone around al-Tanf garrison. Despite this, Russian warplanes conduct reconnaissance sorties and patrols over the area on a regular basis.
Source: SouthFront