Syrian special forces troops performed over 1,500 parachute jumps over various terrains in desert areas in Aleppo, mountainous areas in Latakia and over the Mediterranean Sea within training exercises conducted using Russian military aircraft, Moscow’s defense ministry said on Thursday.
“Military personnel of the Russian group of troops in Syria ensured the conduct of a comprehensive exercise of Syrian special forces units,” the Russian defense ministry said on Telegram.
It added: “At this exercise, Syrian military personnel for the first time in the history of Syria practiced a night mass landing from an Il-76 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The landing took place with a free fall on special-purpose parachute systems ‘Arbalet-2’ from a height of 5,000 meters using night vision devices.”
The final stage of the exercise was the capture of a mock enemy airfield. “During this stage, more than 100 special forces troops were dropped from Mi-8MTSH helicopters of the Russian Aerospace Forces using Arbalet-2 parachutes in combat gear from a height of 4,000 meters and gliding to a distance of more than 8 kilometers. Firing points of the mock enemy were hit by small arms fire and grenade launchers from the air while descending by parachute.”
Russia remains a prominent ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and its intervention, alongside Iran, played a pivotal role in bolstering Assad’s regime during the prolonged conflict in Syria, which spans over a decade and continues to this day. Russia’s military presence in Syria endures, reinforcing its commitment to supporting the Assad government.
Source : AlarabiyaNews
