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Russia building new permanent military base in Syria

March 5, 2021 at 1:59 pm

Air missile systems pictured at a military base in Syria, on 26 September 2019. [MAXIME POPOV/AFP/Getty Images]

Russian forces have started to build a permanent military base in the eastern suburban area of Homs, the independent Syrian news website Zaman Al-Wasl reported.

The new base, which will be located on a hill, 600 metres above sea level, will comprise a 780-metre airstrip.

The 370 dunam (91.5 acre) base will also have a special camp to the north of Tadmor.

It will be located near the warehouses used by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s Air Force.

Russian forces have begun digging a large trench, with a depth of three metres and a width of two metres, around the base so as to secure the area against any attacks.

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than ten million displaced, according to UN estimates.

Iran and Russia have backed the Assad regime in an effort to stave off opposition forces which are backed by the US, Turkey, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi.

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