Russia forces set up new military camp in Hama

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Russian forces have set up a military camp in the Ghab plain in northwestern province of Hama, sources told Zaman al-Wasl.

The camp was set up in the Jeb Al-Ghar last week west of Jourin camp, which is the largest military barrack of the Assad forces and Iranian militias west of Hama.

The new camp, which located on the northern outskirts of the village Jeb al-Ghar, is composed of 25 tents, under the supervision of six high-ranking Russian officers, in addition to an unspecified number of Russian Special Forces.

The camp also includes 600 members and 45 officers of the Fifth Corps, Republican Guard, the tenth division, and Special Forces of the regime's army. As for military equipment, the camp holds 11 Vozlika mortar, 5 AK-130, mortars, heavy machine guns loaded on pickups, in addition to Russian armored cars.

The sources added that the troops stationed in the camp are taking several houses in Jeb Al-Ghar as their headquarters, and that they have started patrolling the village as well as guarding the outskirts days before the establishment of the camp.

Jeb Al-Ghar is a strategic location and an important supply road from Jourin camp to the fronts of the Kabana hills and the eastern countryside of Lattakia.

Russia-backed regime forces have been pressing an offensive against the region despite a deal with rebel backer Turkey in September last year to protect the area.

Assad, who now controls around 60 percent of the country, has vowed to reclaim the rest, including Idlib.

Eight years of war in Syria have killed 560,000 people and driven half the pre-war population of 22 million from their homes, including more than 6 million as refugees to neighbouring countries.