Two militant groups of the terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Russia) attacked Syria’s forces in the Idlib de-escalation zone, head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for the Opposing Sides in Syria Lieutenant General Sergei Solomatin said.
According to him, the attack was launched in the evening of January 22.
"Jabhat al-Nusra militant groups simultaneously attacked positions of the government forces in the areas of the communities of Abu al-Duhur and Abu Sharja," Solomatin said, adding that criminal groups of 150-200 militants in 15-20 pick-up trucks with machine guns carried out attacks in each of the areas.
It was noted that in the Abu al-Duhur area the militants used a suicide attacker in a car who was eliminated by an anti-tank guided missile near the front line of the government forces.
"The terrorists managed to break as far as 1.5 km deep into the position of the Syrian army, after which they were stopped by fire and driven outside the contact line by the reserve forces that had approached," TASS cited the general as saying.
The militants’ attack was derailed in the Abu Sharja area by the fire unleashed by the Syrian forces. The militants suffered losses and returned to their start line positions.
