MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. Militants continue shelling settlements in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Idlib and Hama despite a ceasefire declared on August 2, chief of the Russian Center for reconciliation of the conflicting sides in Syria Alexey Bakin told reporters on Monday.
"Illegal armed group operating in the Idlib de-escalation zone continue violating the ceasefire. Thirty shelling incidents were reported on August 11," Bakin said.
He said militants had shelled Sabikiya, Makanis al-Duwairi, Halidia, al-Salihiyah, Benjamim, Aleppo, Kafr-Hamra, Halasa and Karasi in Aleppo province; the settlement of al-Salihia in Idlib province. In Latakia province, they shelled the settlements of Saraf, Chekurjak, Kalaz-Tahtani, Kensaki, Kermel, az-Ziarah, Janajik, Safsafa, Mutkattal and Qinshibba. The settlement of Jeijed in Hama province also came under fire.
On Sunday, air defense systems of the Russian Hmeymim airbase in Syria brought down six UAVs launched by terrorists. Nobody was injured and no damage was done to the air base, as it continues functioning in a routine mode, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The Russian reconciliation center continues to fulfill the tasks assigned to them after the completion of the military campaign in Syria. They regularly travel around the country's liberated areas to assess the humanitarian situation. The main efforts of the Russian military are now focused on aiding the refugees who are returning back to their homes and evacuating civilians from the war-torn country’s de-escalation zones.