The Russian Air Force has restarted their aerial operations inside the Latakia Governorate after a two month long hiatus to observe the ceasefire that was violated on a number of occasions by the opposition forces in this province.

The opposition’s continued violations, coalesced with the large presence of Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda) fighters in Jabal Al-Akrad (Kurdish Mountains), has prompted the Russian Air Force to intervene in order to propel the Syrian Armed Forces to restore security to the Latakia Governorate.

On Friday morning, the Russian Air Force’s MI-24 hind helicopter gunships carried out several airstrikes in the Jabal Al-Akrad area of northeastern Latakia, killing a large number of Jabhat Al-Nusra and Jaysh Al-Turkmen combatants.

In the past, the Russian choppers played an integral role in the Syrian Arab Army’s success against the Jabhat Al-Nusra fighters entrenched in these vast mountains; this is due to the power and accuracy behind these airstrikes.