BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:20 P.M.) – A military source in northern Hama told Al-Masdar, tonight, that the Russian Special Forces and several aircraft technicians arrived in the southern countryside of Idlib.

According to the military source, the Russian Special Forces and the aircraft technicians arrived at the Abu Dhuhour Airport in southern Idlib; they were joined by several personnel from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) as well.

The military source added that the Abu Dhuhour Airport will be used during the Idlib offensive as an operations room by both the Syrian Arab Army and Russian military.

The Russian military will likely remain in the advisory role during this offensive, as they have done in the past (e.g. Abu Dhuhour offensive 2017).

No Iranian troops or Hezbollah have been deployed to this front as of yet; it is still not clear whether or not they will be present during this offensive.