Rebels Shoot Down Russian Helicopter in Idlib

A Russian combat helicopter was shot down on Monday, killing all five people on board.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the Mi-8 helicopter was shot down after delivering aid to Aleppo, the Associated Press reports. It was shot down over Idlib province while on its way to the Hemiemeem air base in Latakia province, killing three crew members and two military officers on board.

Nearly 300,000 people are trapped in rebel-held Aleppo after a government siege backed by the Russian air force has encircled the eastern side of the city. Rebels launched an offensive trying to break the siege on Monday.

For the Russian military, this is the deadliest event they have encountered in Syria so far. Russia intervened in Syria on President Bashar al-Assad’s behalf in September 2015.

Idlib province is home to a number of rebel groups, including a large presence of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham – formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria. The group released an announcement saying it had relinquished its external ties and changed its name last week.

No rebel group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Civilians Killed in Government-Held Aleppo by Rebel Shelling

At least 28 civilians have been killed and dozens wounded by rebel shelling of government-held neighborhoods of Aleppo in the past 24 hours, Al-Jazeera reports.

The United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said six children and eight women were among those killed. The shells hit near the southwestern districts of the city. Aleppo’s southern districts have recently been the scene of intense fighting as rebels clash with government forces in an attempt to break the siege of the rebel-held parts of the city.

On Monday, a rebel alliance including Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham launched a campaign against government-held positions in Aleppo.

Eastern Aleppo has been under siege by pro-government forces since early July, after a Russian-backed government advance cut off the final supply route to the city, trapping 300,000 people inside with dwindling food, medical and fuel supplies. Last week, Russia announced it would be opening four humanitarian corridors out of the city to allow civilians and surrendered fighters to exit.

Helicopter Drops Toxic Gas on Idlib Town Near Fallen Russian Helicopter

A Syria Civil Defense spokesperson said on Tuesday that a helicopter had targeted a town in the rebel-held Idlib province with toxic gas.

The town is reportedly close to where the Russian helicopter was downed by rebels on Monday, killing all three crew members and the two military officers on board, Reuters reports.

The Syrian Civil Defense, a group of volunteer first responders and rescue workers operating in non-government areas, said at least 33 people were affected by the gas, which hit the town of Saraqeb in rural Idlib. Members of Syria Civil Defense suspect the gas used was chlorine, but cannot yet confirm this.

This is the second time Saraqeb has been targeted with toxic gas, the spokesperson said, adding that, since the beginning of the conflict, they know of nine suspected chlorine gas attacks on Idlib province.

Recommended Reads:

• The Daily Beast: Why Did Russia Send ‘The Terminator’ on a Humanitarian Mission in Syria?
• Al Arabiya: Dividing Syria: A Difficult Mission
• The Washington Post: As Syria Transition Date Passes, U.S. Makes No Policy Change
• Al-Jazeera: Life Among Barrel Bombs for Aleppo’s Children
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: The Conundrum of the Coming Islamic State Collapse