In brief
Recent satellite images reveal a growing crowd of civilians at the Russian base as they call for international protection amid rising unrest and violence.
Hundreds of civilians have sought refuge at a Russian air base on Syria’s coast, satellite imagery reveals, as thousands flee violent clashes and a crackdown by government-aligned fighters that has plunged the region into turmoil. Footage and satellite images reviewed and verified by The New York Times indicated that civilians were sheltering in a compound shared by the Russian air base in Hmeimim and Latakia International Airport, located just outside the coastal city of Jableh, where much of the unrest has occurred.Videos filmed over the weekend showcased a large crowd of people outside the base, displaying placards and chanting: “We want international protection.” Additional images from Planet Labs, a commercial satellite company, showed hundreds of cars parked inside the base. A video captured the sight of children and women walking past Russian military vehicles while receiving food distributed by men in military fatigues. The images also revealed more than a dozen military tents set up in the airport grounds.Last week, violence erupted between fighters aligned with Syria’s newly appointed government, presided over by Ahmed al-Shara, and those loyal to the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported more than 1,300 fatalities amid the unrest, primarily concentrated in the coastal Latakia and Tartus Provinces. Alarmingly, the monitor indicated that around 1,000 of these casualties were civilians, most losing their lives through armed forces affiliated with or loyal to the new administration, and this information remains unverified. Much of the unrest has been centered in Jableh, a coastal town adjacent to the air base, as the fighting continues to shake the region and displace many families seeking safety.
