Syria Opposition Factions Kill 15 Regime Loyalists after Russia Air Strike

A fighter with the Turkey-backed Faylaq al-Sham faction in Syria shoots in the air during the funeral of 10 of the faction's fighters killed in a Russian air strike. (AFP)
A fighter with the Turkey-backed Faylaq al-Sham faction in Syria shoots in the air during the funeral of 10 of the faction's fighters killed in a Russian air strike. (AFP)
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Syria Opposition Factions Kill 15 Regime Loyalists after Russia Air Strike

A fighter with the Turkey-backed Faylaq al-Sham faction in Syria shoots in the air during the funeral of 10 of the faction's fighters killed in a Russian air strike. (AFP)
A fighter with the Turkey-backed Faylaq al-Sham faction in Syria shoots in the air during the funeral of 10 of the faction's fighters killed in a Russian air strike. (AFP)

Pro-Turkish Syrian opposition factions have killed at least 15 Moscow-backed Syrian regime fighters in retaliation for Russian strikes that left dozens dead among their ranks, a war monitor said Tuesday.

Moscow's air strikes Monday hit a training camp of the Faylaq al-Sham faction near the Turkish border in Syria's last major opposition bastion of Idlib, killing 78 fighters and wounding 90 more.

The National Liberation Front (NLF), an umbrella group of Ankara-backed opposition fighters based in Idlib that includes Faylaq al-Sham, vowed retaliation.

Faylaq al-Sham is an extremist group that has acted as Turkey's proxy during several Turkish military campaigns on Syrian soil and has also been the source of pro-Ankara mercenaries sent to fight in Libya and in the Caucasus over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said 15 pro-government fighters were killed over the past 24 hours in NLF bombardment on regime-held areas in the south and east of Idlib, as well as parts of the adjacent Hama, Aleppo and Latakia provinces.

NLF spokesman Naji Mustafa told AFP: "The NLF immediately responded" by targeting regime positions, especially in the south of Idlib province and north of Hama province.

"The retaliation is ongoing and will be fierce," he said.

Monday's strikes were the bloodiest surge in violence since a Russian-Turkish truce came into force almost eight months ago in northwest Syria.

That deal stemmed a Russia-backed regime offensive on the bastion that had killed more than 500 civilians and displaced almost a million people in one of the worst humanitarian crises of Syria's nine-year war.

NLF spokesman Mustafa accused the Russians of scuppering the months-long ceasefire with Monday's air strikes.

Also on Tuesday, fighters loyal to Damascus fired back on opposition factions in the south of Idlib and Hama province, the Observatory said.

At least one opposition fighter was killed on the edges of the town of Saraqeb in Idlib, according to the war monitor.

The last major opposition stronghold covers around half of Idlib province as well as slivers of adjacent provinces.

It is dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a coalition led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, but other factions including the NLF are also present.

Syria's war, which broke out after the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011, has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions at home and abroad.



Barrack Says Hezbollah Involvement in Iran-Israel War Would Be 'Very Bad Decision'

A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
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Barrack Says Hezbollah Involvement in Iran-Israel War Would Be 'Very Bad Decision'

A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)

The US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack on Thursday warned Hezbollah against getting involved in the war between its main backer Iran and Israel.

"I can say on behalf of President (Donald) Trump... that would be a very, very, very bad decision," Barrack said, responding to a question on what the US position would be on any involvement by Hezbollah in the war.

Barrack met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace and Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.

Hezbollah has condemned Israel's strikes on Iran and expressed full solidarity with its leadership.

Hezbollah on Thursday expressed support for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following threats by Israeli leaders that he could be killed.

In a statement, Hezbollah said that “threats to assassinate (Khamenei) are foolish and reckless, and will have disastrous consequences.”

But the group has stopped short of making explicit threats to intervene.

Israel's defense minister said Thursday that Khamenei "can no longer be allowed to exist" after an Israeli hospital was hit during an Iranian missile attack.

"Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed -- he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal," Israel Katz told journalists in Holon near Tel Aviv. "Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist."

Killing Khamenei would "end the conflict" between Israel and Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.