The Russian military announced late on Friday that it has tracked down and eliminated a group of rebels involved in attacks on Russia's main base in Syria after mobilizing "all manpower and materiel of Russia’s multilevel military intelligence system in Syria" and especially its elite special forces troops.
The previous New Year's Eve attack was carried out by a small squad of insurgents armed with mortars who were able to kill two Russian servicemen while damaging up to seven aircraft at Khmeimim Airbase outside of Latakia, Syria and constitutes the single largest loss of Russian military hardware throughout the Syria campaign.

Russian special forces soldiers in Syria. Image source: Russian military media via The Washington Post
This was followed by a January 6 coordinated attack on the base involving 13 heavily armed drones which captured headlines this week as Russian defense officials, including President Putin himself, said the militants must have had outside help or state sponsorship, given the sophistication of the operation and presence of advanced satellite and weapons technology the UAVs were outfitted with.

Damage to one of the seven Russian jets disabled through the December 31 mortar attack on Khmeimim Airbase. Photo via Roman Saponkov
In response to both attacks, Russian special forces units were immediately mobilized and conducted targeted operations based on intelligence which identified the location of the initial mortar attacks. The Russian Defense Ministry indicated the full scope of its intelligence and special ops resources were brought to bear for the operation. According to Russia's TASS news:
A group of Russian Special Operation Forces established the militants' location close to the western border of the Idlib province.
"When the terrorists arrived at the facility where they were to board a minibus, the whole subversive group was eliminated by the Krasnopol high-precision munition [see below]," the ministry said. The Russian Defense Ministry added that all manpower and materiel of Russia’s multilevel military intelligence system in Syria had been involved in the operation.

The 2K25 Krasnopol is a Russian 152 mm cannon-launched, fin-stabilized, base bleed-assisted, semi-automatic laser-guided, explosive projectile. It automatically 'homes' on a point illuminated by a laser designator, typically operated by a ground-based artillery observer. Source: Wiki Commons
Simultaneous to this operation defense officials said Russian artillery targeted and destroyed a drone assembly plant and storage depot in nearby al-Qaeda controlled Idlib, believed to have possibly been part of the January 6 attack - which though reportedly thwarted - has raised serious concerns over the vulnerability and security of Russia's most active foreign base.
TASS reports further of the drone depot:
Russia’s Krasnopol precision artillery munition has wiped out terrorists’ drone assembly and storage depot in the Syrian province of Idlib, according to the Defense Ministry. "The Russian military reconnaissance has uncovered a terrorist fixed-wing drone assembly and storage place in the province of Idlib. The depot has been destroyed by the Krasnopol precision artillery munition," the Defense Ministry said.
The Russian military said the drones came from the village of Muwazarra in Idlib, around 50 miles away, which makes Ahrar Al Sham or Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham the immediate culprit. Both groups, though blacklisted as terror organizations by the Pentagon, have received direct and indirect assistance by the CIA and allied intelligence services at various points over the course of the war, especially during the 2015 campaign to wrest Idlib city from the control of the Syrian government.
"We know who they were and how much they paid for that provocation," Putin had warned previously, while also claiming to be in possession of evidence demonstrating the rebels had outside help, presumably from external intelligence agencies.
Though Russia hasn't been forthcoming with any 'smoking gun' proof regarding outside state sponsorship of Idlib militant operations against Khmeimim base, Putin is reported to have reassured Turkey's President Erdogan through a phone call, saying that Russia knows it wasn't Turkey, while accusing outside "provocateurs" of attempting to derail the delicate Russia-Turkey-Iran agreement reached in Sochi last November. The next round of talks is scheduled to begin at the end of January, which has further raised Russian suspicions as to the timing of recent attacks.
On Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Washington of engaging Syrian opposition groups involved in the Sochi process behind the scenes in order to sabotage Russian efforts at a peace deal and settlement to the Syrian war. The Pentagon has vehemently denied any involvement in the attacks against Russian bases or personnel in Syria.
Comments
I posted this on ZH yesterday, citing RT.
Hey, wait a minute... so now Russian Special Forces drive white Toyota p/u trucks? What the truck*?
* Rhymes with f**k
In reply to I posted this on ZH yesterday by HRClinton
The Russian army lit up a shithole!
In reply to Hey, eait a minute... so now… by HRClinton
Syria didn't used to be a shithole.
In reply to The Russian army lit up a… by RAT005
It's been Arab for centuries.
In reply to Syria didn't used to be a… by Moe-Monay
""When the terrorists arrived at the facility where they were to board a minibus, the whole subversive group was eliminated by the Krasnopol high-precision munition [see below]," the ministry said. The Russian Defense Ministry added that all manpower and materiel of Russia’s multilevel military intelligence system in Syria had been involved in the operation.""
Too bad they probably Lost Hard Evidence of Who Done It...
In reply to It's been Arab for centuries… by TBT or not TBT
Allah and Shaitan will sort them out.
In reply to ""When the terrorists… by BaBaBouy
"to track down militants behind recent attacks"
Futile. UNLESS you get rid of Israhell, which arms the "militants," IT WILL NEVER STOP. Israel is the Problem. http://goo.gl/l6d22d
In reply to Allah and Shaitan will sort… by TBT or not TBT
The CIA arms the "militants" using arms shipped from Benghazi by Hitlery and the other despots.
In reply to "to track down militants… by stizazz
The Russian Defense Ministry indicated the full scope of its intelligence and special ops resources were brought to bear for the operation.
Do ya think that included water boarding?
Oh, the horror!
In reply to "to track down militants… by stizazz
Dubai is Arab
In reply to It's been Arab for centuries… by TBT or not TBT
Anudder "Who Dun It" ...
In reply to Syria didn't used to be a… by Moe-Monay
Pretty quick and efficient.
It sure is easier to fight a war when you have legitimacy, a clear scope, and free hands to deliver hurt to the bad guys.
In reply to The Russian army lit up a… by RAT005
And you don't have JAG prosecuting your operators.
In reply to Pretty quick and efficient… by peddling-fiction
Or trannies and feminists in your ranks.
In reply to And you don't have JAG… by TBT or not TBT
Yippee!
Russians are heroic!
In reply to The Russian army lit up a… by RAT005
Again I repeat I never never never ever ever ever thought I would be rooting for the Russians.
But I am.
CIA-ISIS can suckit
In reply to Hey, eait a minute... so now… by HRClinton
I've been rooting for the Russians for at least 8 years, ever since I shed my own US uniform.
How can anyone wear the uniform of any US military branch when our staunchest "ally" is Israel and the whole system is rigged to massively benefit the 0.1% while it rapes the middle and working classes....the very classes who make up the bulk of the cannon fodder? Wake the fuck up America.
In reply to Again I repeat I never never… by Moe-Monay
Killing off CIA "assets" may deter more "assets" enlisting.
In reply to Hey, eait a minute... so now… by HRClinton
But for higher salaries, for higher danger. And with the dollar falling...eh...failing
In reply to … by BennyBoy
Spoils from ISIS.
In reply to Hey, eait a minute... so now… by HRClinton
Video
https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f5a_1515767962
That is 40km sniping with a 152mm gun. Daaaaamn.
In reply to Video… by LeisureSmith
Would it be a crime in USA to volunteer for service in Russian forces?
In reply to That is 40km sniping with a… by BlindMonkey
12 miles is the range on these particular guided shells. Aim in right direction, guided by SOF last 3 seconds.
In reply to That is 40km sniping with a… by BlindMonkey
Modern warfare can sure knock over a large number of chess pieces in a short period of Time.
They missed the responsible group.
The Beltway Bandits ?
In reply to They missed the responsible… by rejected
'Responsible' one step removed. The Russians got the 0-step people. Russian intelligence is pretty good, it seems to me, having foiled so many CIA-Mossad plots in the last few years, so 1+ people can't sleep well until well out of Syria and into the future, depending on how instructive Russian military choose to be wrt the consequences of attacking them.
We would know that if they had attacked Israel, many years wouldn't be long enough.
In reply to They missed the responsible… by rejected
"They missed the responsible group."
Just waiting for the right group in that bunker.
In reply to They missed the responsible… by rejected
If the boys want to fight you better let em
I green arrowed you for your avatar. The comment was good as well.
In reply to If the boys want to fight… by Accidental anal
just now received an official warning of an imminent missile attack on hawaii. i am under my desk trying to kiss my ass goodbye. this is not a drill.
They are doing that to whoop up paranoia and justify perpetual war. I'm sure you're fine and they will continue with this.
In reply to just now received an… by besnook
no news coverage yet. we got phone and tv banner warnings. this is not a drill.
In reply to They are doing that to whoop… by Ms No
Have fun. Don't look at the mushroom cloud.
No external coverage that I can find yet. Keep us posted.
In reply to just now received an… by besnook
Do you really think being under your desk will help?
just more govt BS.
if you believe that I have a bridge for sale.
In reply to Have fun. Don't look at the… by CNONC
A friend just got one too!
In reply to just now received an… by besnook
false alarm apparently. kind a figured it was but you never know nowadays. that's the absurd part.
In reply to just now received an… by besnook
if i had to guess, netanjahu sold them out ... poor jihadis, hired guns.
Dead CIA Terrorists. I Like That!
What's Plan B,Mr CIA Dudes?
Probably no stars going on the wall at Langley this time. Although, when they got that cave full of US and Israeli operatives directing ISIS operations some likely did. May they rot in hell.
That minibus has the best odds of being handlers
In reply to Probably no stars going on… by Ms No
Good job by someone to punk the fools to run together like that. In the live link video they even drove a second vehicle to the spot and then jump into the targeted vehicle.
"depot in nearby al-Qaeda controlled Idlib" This surprises me as I thought ISIS/al-Qaeda had been cleared further east. If some truce is ending and they are that close if will be difficult to be prevent attacks again.
they can't do that to our terrorists!
yeah. only we can do that to our terrorists.
/animal house