Syria: Security measures applied after the attack on the Russian Hmeimim base

In the Syrian coastal city of Jableh and villages surrounding the Hmeimim Air Base in the Latakia countryside are experiencing a state of heightened security alert following an armed attack targeting the base, one of Russia’s most prominent military sites in Syria.

According to locals, significant security reinforcements were observed near the base.

Security forces completely closed off the entrances and exits to the villages, preventing movement in and out without providing any official explanation for these exceptional measures.

Meanwhile, units of the Syrian General Security Forces, some of whose members were masked despite a previous official ban on covering faces, entered the city of Jableh.

Local sources reported similar security movements in Latakia and Qardaha, reflecting the expanded scope of security measures in the region.

This security tension comes after an armed attack two days ago targeting the Hmeimim base.

The attackers used snipers, while a number of suicide attackers attempted to storm one of the base’s gates and detonate themselves inside.

However, Russian forces stationed at the base were able to repel the attack, killing three of the militants, while the fourth attacker managed to escape.

Russian sources confirmed that the attack resulted in the deaths of two Russian soldiers and the injury of others, noting that the attackers were Uzbek nationals.

The attackers may be affiliated with a parallel group operating under the supervision of the Syrian government’s Ministries of Defense and Interior, raising questions about their actual affiliations and backgrounds.

In contrast, the official Syrian authorities denied any involvement in the attack on the Russian base, but later requested the return of the attackers’ bodies, sparking controversy over the official handling of the case.