Syrian, Russian Forces Conduct Joint Tactical Training in Hama Province
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Syrian commandos and Russian air forces have carried out a groundbreaking joint tactical training exercise, as reported by the Russian defense ministry on Thursday.
The night drill took place in Syria's Hama Province and marked the first of its kind for the two allies.
During the exercise, the forces responded to a scenario where a militant group had seized control of a community, putting civilians at risk. The devised plan by Russian and Syrian military commanders involved using airstrikes and artillery fire to disable perimeter defenses, followed by an airdrop of ground troops to secure the hostages, according to RT.
Russia deployed Su-35 multipurpose jets, Su-24 tactical bombers, and Ka-52 attack helicopters to "destroy armored vehicles and defensive positions of the simulated terrorists."
Syrian Arab Army's 25th Special Mission Forces Division carried out ground operations, with some troops utilizing Russian parachute systems for skydives from heights of 1,500 to 3,000 meters.
A press release highlighted the commendable level of coordination between the participating forces, appreciated by military leaders of both nations.
Russia has been a crucial supporter of Syria, sending its warplanes in 2015 to aid Damascus in the fight against terrorist groups. The country maintains an air force base in Syria and regularly conducts joint military exercises with the host country.
Meanwhile, the US has a military presence in Syria purportedly to counter the Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) terrorist group. The US has also supported some anti-government forces during the lengthy civil war and imposed harsh economic sanctions on the Syrian government, hindering reconstruction efforts.
Tensions between Russia and the US in Syria have been escalating, with both sides accusing each other of unprofessional conduct during air encounters. Recently, the Pentagon claimed that Russian pilots damaged one of its drones with flares during a mission. The Russian defense ministry later reported a separate incident, where an armed American drone locked weapons on a Russian military plane, leading to the automatic deployment of countermeasures.