USA security services behind Al Nusra offensive in Syria's Idlib - Russian MoD

On September 21, 2017, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that an offensive launched by Al-Nusra Front militants and their allies in Syria’s Idlib province was orchestrated by United States security services. According to Russian intelligence data reported at the time, the instigation aimed to halt the advance of Syrian government forces to the east of Deir ez-Zor.

The offensive began on a Tuesday morning, during which a Russian military police unit consisting of 29 personnel was encircled by militants attempting to capture them. The unit repelled attacks for several hours with the assistance of a local tribe that had signed a cease-fire agreement. To rescue the unit, the commander of Russian forces in Syria, Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, formed a de-blocking group. Supported by two Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft attacking militant forces and armored vehicles from low altitudes, the group broke the encirclement, allowing the Russian troops to reach territory held by Syrian government forces.

The Syrian government-affiliated Central Military Media acknowledged the opposition offensive in Idlib, reporting that government forces responded with intensive air strikes and shelling that killed a number of fighters. The clashes occurred shortly after Iran, Russia, and Turkey announced plans to jointly police the de-escalation zone in Idlib and adjacent parts of Hama and Latakia provinces. Russia had already deployed military police to three other de-escalation zones, including Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, parts of the south, and areas within the central province of Homs.