(Zaman Al Wasl)- Three Russian warplanes landed in the Russia-controlled Hmeimym airbase in Latakia province on Friday, carrying 300 military personnel specialized in removing mines, source said.
The new deployment come a day after Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced from Turkey that Russia is to send crews to remove mines from Aleppo city, the eastern part of the city.
The crews whose number exceed 300 people are still in the Russian base in Hmeimym awaiting orders to head to Aleppo.
Our source who visits Hmeimym base spoke on condition of anonymity indicated the crews’ mission will not be only removing mines from the eastern part of Aleppo, but also will be assigned to train regime army personnel on how to plant mines without opponents being able to detect them.
The source pointed out the practical training on mines planting will take place in Latakia countryside to achieve two things at a time. The first is to train and second to plant mines in the mountains which regime wants them to be impenetrable fortress in face of rebels to prevent any possible advance to its areas and loyal population.
The military analyst Tarek Haj Bakri described the information as very dangerous, “it carries indications that Russia insists on controlling the eastern part of Aleppo by force despite its announcements talking about consultations with influential actors in the Syrian events to find a peaceful solution for Aleppo.”
Haj Bakri sees that planting mines in Latakia countryside aims to keep the area under regime control and to cut the road to whoever thinks of coming close to regime areas in the Syrian coast. He believes this might be the start to establish an Alwaite canton in the Syrian coast which is completely isolated form the Syrian depth inside of Syria.
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