Air Strikes by SyAAF and VKS, 27 March 2017

The Russians flew two air strikes by fighter-bombers and two by helicopters, shortly after midnight, and all against Sarqib area…

The Russians flew two air strikes by fighter-bombers and two by helicopters, shortly after midnight, and all against Sarqib area. Afterwards, the night was relatively quiet.

In preparation for a major counterattack in northern Hama, the SyAAF went into action early in the morning, launching Su-22s from Shayrat at 05.48, 05.50, 05.54, 06.08, and 06.28. All of these hit the Kfar Zita area. The VKS added more air strikes against roads between Jishr ash-Shughour and Kfar Zita at 06.38, two at 06.59, two at 07.02, and two at 07.06. Hama AB launched one helicopter at 07.09, and another Su-22 took off from Shayrat at 07.10. Both flew away in northern direction, just like another helicopter (07.15), and a MiG-21 (07.15).

Around the same time, two Su-22s bombed Ra’astan — apparently ‘in retaliation’ for nocturnal raids of local insurgents against the Homs — Salamiyah road, which are going on since days and repeatedly causing losses and interrupting the traffic there.

At 07.30, the Russians began launching a big wave of fighter-bombers. Unusually, this consisted of no less than 13 pairs of aircraft (Russians generally fly single-ships) that got airborne by 08.42. Most of them bombed targets in the Jishr ash-Shughour area, but bombed were also Kfar Halab, Taftanaz and Sarqib areas.

Another VKS wave commenced launching around 09.05: including a total of six aircraft, it hit western and southern Aleppo, including Khan Touman. 
Around 09.32, a pair of VKS helicopters became active over NE Lattakia, where one of them was claimed shot down by Ahrar as-Sham. Confirmed or not, this action seems to have prompted a series of air strikes on insurgent positions in the Salmia area, including one launched at 09.47, another at 09.49, one at 09.53, and one at 10.03, followed by another wave, at 10.29, 10.31, 10.34, and 10.41. Between 10.48 and 10.51, the Russians also bombed Darat Azza and Atarib.

Meanwhile, the SyAAF’s activity — primarily from Hama and Shayrat — concentrated on Mazraf area, which was hit by at least five helicopters, three Su-24s, four Su-22s, and five MiG-23s, between 11.00 and 12.00hrs. The Latamina area was hit by four Russian and four Syrian aircraft between 12.30 and 13.00hrs, while the Sarkib area came under a total of eight VKS air strikes between 13.15 and 14.47. The VKS recce aircraft was reportedly active there too, around the same time. Considering videos like this one, the aircraft in question is most likely an Il-20M.

At 14.35hrs, the SyAAF (i.e. no ‘Russians’ as reported by various sources) launched a series of air strikes on Dera’a area — including four by helicopters and four by fighter-bombers (between the later were two Su-22s from Dmeyr).

Mazraf was subjected to another series of air strikes between 15.00 and 16.00hrs. Nothing ‘carpet-bombing-style’, though: 1 helicopter, 1 L-39, 2 MiG-23s, and a Su-24. Its unclear to me if the Russians have added some more air strikes on the same place: they did launch some six additional air strikes during the same time, but it remains unknown where did these go. Means: most likely, reports about ‘carpet-bombing’ of Mazraf from yesterday afternoon were based on strikes by TOS-1As.

The Jishr ash-Shughour and Sarqib areas were subjected to a particularly massive wave of air strikes between 16.30 and 18.53. These included up to 50 (to make sure: fifty!) Russian fighter-bombers and 10 helicopters, and saw deployment of numerous CBUs. I.e. this was really a large-scale operation. 
Unclear is only what exactly did they all target. Considering complete silence from Ahrar ash-Sham, the 1st Coastal and similar units, and lack of reporting about civilian victims, it is possible that Assadist reports about them preventing an AAS offensive into NE Lattakia are truth.

On the contrary, the SyAAF’s activity slackened during the late afternoon. Only notable movement were air strikes by two L-39s on Khan Sheykhoun area, around 19.00hrs. Four additional L-39s (some from Hama, others from Tiyas) and two UAVs were also active over Latamina, around 20.00–20.30hrs.

Totals

Another ‘record-breaking’ day for the VKS in Syria: its fighter-bombers flew no less than 149 registered air strikes. The ‘aerial offensive’ on Jishr ash-Shughour area in particular can only be described as ‘unprecedented’. 
Russian helicopters flew another 22 sorties, recce aircraft 2.

Activity of at least a dozen of UAVs was recorded over Idlib province alone during that day.

Number of registered SyAAF air strikes remained roughly the same like the day before. Major new development is that Su-24s flew most of their air strikes after 20.00hrs local time, i.e. after the sunset.
helicopters: 20
L-39: 12
MiG-21: 2
MiG-23: 18
Su-22: 13
Su-24: 12