Syrian opposition source said that the strike, which took place late on March 5, destroyed more than 200 oil tankers as well as makeshift refineries and storage tanks.
According to the White Helmets, four people were killed in the strike. At least 42 others were injured, some of them are reportedly in a critical condition.
Footage from the targeted areas, a smuggling route and a fuel market in al-Himran and a hub for refining smuggled oil in Tarhin, showed complete destruction.
منذ 19 ساعة ورغم الصعوبات الكبيرة والمخاطر بسبب طبيعة الحرائق البترولية، ماتزال فرق الدفاع المدني السوري تكافح لإخماد الحرائق التي خلفها قصف النظام وروسيا على الحمران بريف حلب الشرقي.#الخوذ_البيضاءpic.twitter.com/NUPnUWVcxQ
— الدفاع المدني السوري (@SyriaCivilDefe) March 6, 2021
Oil traffickers in northern Aleppo deal in oil produced illegally by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from several fields in the northeastern region. This illegal trade helps to fund Turkish-backed militants as well as the SDF.
The strike on Tarhin and al-Himran was clearly carried out by the Syrian Arab Army and Russian forces. OTR-21 Tochka tactical ballistic missiles were used in the strike. According to a number of sources, Iskander tactical ballistic missiles and BM-30 Smerch heavy rockets were also employed.
Oil trafficking operations in northern and northeastern Syria will likely slow down for weeks, if not months, as a result of the successful strike.
source:southfront.org
