Al Nusra Jihadists Close in on Russia’s Key Airbase in Syria: Why Turkey, Israel and the U.S. All Want it Taken Out

<p >Jihadist paramilitary forces supported by the Turkish state have made progress in their <a href=" >ongoing offensive</a> into Syrian territory, placing their forces closer to Russia’s primary overseas military facility, namely Khmeimim Airbase in Syria’s Latakia Governate. Jihadist groups operating under Turkish protection in Syria’s Idlib governate have attempted to launch attacks on the facility multiple times and with varying degrees of success, at times <a href=" >using drones</a>, but in the late 2010s also using artillery assets in more successful hit-and-run attacks. Jihadists operating under organisations such as the Al Nusra Front and the <a href=" >East Turkestan Islamic Party</a> rely very heavily on Turkish material support and protection for their operations, and have benefited extensively from <a href=" >Turkish air and artillery support</a> as well as from <a href=" >Israeli air support </a>during clashes with Syrian forces in the past. They have more recently been bolstered by the deployment of Ukrainian special forces and advisors, with Ukrainian specialists placing a particular emphasis on training the militias in drone warfare to more effectively target Russian and Syrian forces. </p><p ><img src=" title="East Turkestan Islamic Party Turkish-Backed Jihadists in Syria"></p><p >The disruption or ending of Russian air operations at Khmiemim Airbase would be a major success for jihadist groups, and could be a key facilitator of further advances in Syria, as the facility has been central to Russia’s air campaign in support of Syrian government forces. The neutralisation of the facility would also be highly beneficial not only to Ukrainian interests, but also to those of Israel due to the role which Russian military assets have played in <a href=" Israeli attacks on Syrian targets in the past. The primary beneficiary, however, would be the jihadists’ primary sponsor, namely Turkey, which alongside its NATO allies has long been strongly opposed to Russia maintaining any kind of military presence in the Middle East. Before the opening of Khmeimim Airbase in August 2015, all foreign air bases in the region belonged to NATO members. The fact that the base has served both as a <a href=" ground</a> for Russian arms deliveries to Africa, and as a <a href=" for bomber </a>and <a href=" strike fighter operations</a>, which leave NATO’s southern flank exposed, further increases the importance for Turkish and Western interests of seeing it neutralised. </p><p ><img src=" title="Russian Air Force Su-35 at Khmeimim Airbase"></p><p >Russian fighter aircraft <a href=" >based at Khmeimim Airbase</a> have been involved in multiple interceptions of American aircraft violating Syrian airspace. This included multiple very close <a href=" >intercepts</a> of American MQ-9 Reaper drones over Syria in the summer of 2023, one of which on July 23 caused the U.S. Air Force plane to take <a href=" >severe damage </a>to its propeller after a Su-35 fighter dropped flares in its path. The facility has thus opposed the goals of Turkish backed jihadist groups, the Turkish state, the United States, and Israel, as it impedes efforts by all four parties to launch operations in Syrian territory against the interests of the Syrian state. The facility has hosted Su-24M, Su-27SM2/3, Su-30SM, Su-34, Su-35 and Su-57 fighters, among a wide range of other aviation assets. Although representing a major blow to Russia, destroying the facility is notably not expected to end Russian operations in Syria entirely, with fighters and helicopters based there having previously deployed to other facilities in Syria. Examples have included the <a href=" >deployment of Su-35s</a> to Qamishli Airport, and the deployment of Mi-24P attack helicopters to Shayrat Airbase. While Khmeimim Airbase has been heavily fortified against drone and air attacks, its defences against a ground assault are more limited. </p>