RUSSIANS ON GROUND IN IDLIB, REBELS CLAIM

Russia has sent special forces to fight alongside Syrian troops in Idlib as their assault against the last opposition-held stronghold stalls, according to rebels.

The Russian troops were reportedly in the hills of northern Hama that fell into rebel hands last week, in what would be the first deployment of ground troops by Moscow since the offensive there began in April.

“These special Russian forces are now present in the battlefield. The Russians are intervening directly now,” said Capt. Naji Mustafa, a spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front coalition of rebels. “When (Syrian president Bashar) al-assad’s forces failed to advance, Russia then intervened directly ... after bombing the area with more than 200 sorties,” Mustafa told Reuters. More than two months of Russian-backed operations around Idlib have yielded close to nothing for Russia and Assad.