Aug 24, 2018

Rebel and jihadist drone attacks on an airbase in Syria used by Damascus ally Russia have increased since last month but all were shot down, a monitor said Friday.

"Drone attacks against Hmeimim have increased" since July, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, referring to Russia's main military base in the war-torn country, where it intervened on the regime's side in 2015 to help fight the armed opposition.

The Britain-based Observatory reported 13 assaults in July and five this month, out of a total of 23 since the start of the year.

In such attacks, small unmanned aircraft have been loaded with explosives.

But "most of the drones are downed by Russian or Syrian air defences before reaching their target", Obser