Russia is launching more airstrikes in Syria.

 

A fruit truck that was damaged in the bombing. BBC/EPA.

Russia has launched multiple airstrikes in Syria. BBC. Nine people were killed in a airstrike near Jisr al-Shughour while two more killed in an airstrike near Idlib city. Russia did not comment on the attack but Syria says terrorists and rebels were targeted and destroyed in the airstrikes. Rebel aligned groups like the White Helmets say the strikes hit civilians. Syria said the attacks were in retaliation for the deaths of several civilians by artillery and drone strikes. Fighting in Syria has died down since Turkey and Russia organized a ceasefire. Russia's air campaign has greatly helped Syria's forces in the civil war. 

My Comment:

The Syrian Civil War and the Russian precipitation in it has certainly fallen out of the news. Indeed, many people probably think the war is over. But these airstrikes certainly prove that the war is not over quite yet. 

Fighting has died down quite a bit, largely due to the rebel funding being cut off and the success of Russian forces. The war continues but at a much lower temperature and without the major duel threats of ISIS and al-Nusra, who are now shells of their former selves. 

It's pretty unclear who exactly was killed in this air raid. Syria says it was all terrorists and rebels while the rebel aligned White Helmets say it was just civilians. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, who strikes me as being more in the middle, says it was a mix of both. I would probably go with the latter as that makes the most sense but in war it's often hard to tell the difference between a fighter and a civilian. 

What is somewhat shocking to me is that Russia still has forces in Syria, given the scale and importance of the Ukraine conflict. Though airpower has not proven to be all that useful for either side in the conflict due to the quality of both sides air defenses you would think that Russia would want everything they have fighting there. 

I think it's another example of the war in Ukraine going better for Russia than is commonly reported. If Russia was truly in danger of losing there they would not have a bunch of fighter jets fighting in Syria. Though Syria is a big ally of Russia and the port there in Tartus is a strategic asset, it's not anywhere near as important as the Ukraine conflict so if Russia was losing they would have pulled out their fighters...