3 killed in attack on Russia’s Hmeimim base in Syria: Monitor
Russia is aiming to maintain its military bases in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, while a number of Syrians are currently sheltering at the Hmeimim air base.
Tuesday's attack on a Russian military base in Syria left at least three dead, according to reports on Wednesday — a potentially dangerous escalation as Russia's presence in the country hangs in the balance.
What happened: Perpetrators believed to be foreign fighters affiliated with the government carried out an armed attack on the Hmeimim air base on Tuesday, utilizing medium and heavy machine guns. The assault led to clashes in the vicinity, and sirens went off at the base, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at the time.
The observatory reported on Wednesday that three people had been killed in the attack, though it could not specify whether they were the foreign fighters or Russian personnel. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that two of the attackers and two people at the base were killed. The outlet was unable to determine whether those killed at the base were Russian soldiers or Syrian contractors.
Videos of gunfire in the base area circulated on Syrian social media.
