Syrian Islamist Drone Attacks Russian Airbase

Hmeimim Airbase Was Also Targeted by Rebel Artillery Last Week

A drone believed to belong to a Syrian Islamist faction has attempted to attack the Russian airbase at Hmeimim, near the coastal Syrian city of Latakia. The guards managed to shoot down the drone before it was able to bomb anything.

The craft was described as an engine taped to a wooden frame, and carrying a pair of”home-made land mines,” which it would apparently have used to attack a plane parked on the runway or some other target at the base.

This sort of “makeshift” drone has become increasingly popular in Syria, offering rebels a way to deliver inexpensive flying bombs against enemy targets for an extremely low price.

This is the same airbase that sustained substantial damage from rebel artillery strikes just last week, when several Russian warplanes were damaged. This likely had the guards at the base on much higher alert than usual.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.