PHOTO: Tail section of a Syrian warplane downed by rebels near Abu Duhur base in 2012 (Bryan Denton/New York Times)

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Rebels have renewed their attempt to capture one of the last regime airbases in northwest Syria.

Battles were reported on Monday night inside the Abu Duhur base in Idlib Province, following vehicle-borne bombing by the rebel coalition Jaish al-Fateh. The regime’s defense was limited by the inability to use warplanes, due to large sandstorms over the area.

Abu Duhur has been surrounded for many months, and Jaish al-Fateh captured almost all of Idlib Province this spring. Rebels were briefly inside the base in late August in their last ground assault.

See Syria Daily, August 26: Assad Troops Under Pressure Across the Country

Abu Duhur, southeast of Idlib city and south of Aleppo, has long been disused because of the rebel siege. It is held by about 300 troops.

Pro-Regime Outlet: “700-800 Russians” Have Arrived to Help Assad Forces in Latakia-Hama Ground Battle

A prominent pro-regime activist is claiming that “700 to 800” Russians arrived last week to help regime forces in the important battleground across Latakia and Hama Provinces in western Syria.

Leith Abou Fadel posted the assertions on Twitter and his website Al-Masdar News early Tuesday morning:

Abou Fadel, who relies on regime military sources for most of his claims, said the Russians are operating near the al-Ghab Plain in northern Hama Province.

The activist says that most of the Russians, along with members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, are at the Syrian Army’s base at Slunfeh on the edge of the plain. He indicates that they are advisors: “They’re not there to launch any attacks or participate in battles.”

Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said on Tuesday that there were no Russian combat forces fighting alongside the Syrian army. He asserted that the reports were “concocted in Western intelligence circles” to show the army was too weak without help from Moscow, and to establish a pretext for further support for rebels.

“There are no Russian forces and there is no Russian military action on Syrian territory neither by land, by sea or by air,” Zoubi told Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV.

Rebels have taken much of the plain since they moved through neighboring Idlib Province this spring. Last month they occupied almost all of the northern plain, and regime counter-attacks only reclaimed the village of Khirbet al-Naqous.

The rebel advance puts pressure on the Assad heartland of Latakia Province on the Mediterranean. Two key bases near the village of Joureen are the shield for Latakia, and there is fighting for mountains bordering al-Ghab.

Abou Fadel says other Russians have been deployed in Tartous Province, bordering Latakia on the Mediterranean, and in Homs Province.

Israel Reacts With Caution to Reports of Russian Intervention

Israeli officials have reacted with caution to reports of increased Russian military intervention in Syria.

“There could be ramifications for us, certainly,” Ram Ben-Barak, director-general of Israel’s Intelligence Ministry, said at a security conference.

Amos Gilad, the senior adviser to Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, said of Russia’s military involvement: “I don’t know, because the scale is not yet clear. They haven’t started working. They are just building up the capability.”

Asked if Israel was communicating with Moscow, Gilad said, “There are ways. They are not our enemies today.”

Bulgaria Denies Russian Use of Airspace for Syria Flights

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has denied a Russian request to use its airspace for supply flights to Syria, due to serious concerns about the cargo on the planes.

“The Bulgarian foreign ministry has refused flights over Bulgaria of Russian military transport planes en route to Syria,” a spokeswoman said, explaining that the decision was taken in the past few days.

“We have enough information that makes us have serious doubts about the cargo of the planes, which is the reason for the refusal,” she said.

The US has asked Greece to deny Russia the use of its airspace for the supply flights to Syria, a Greek official said on Monday.

However, a Greek Government spokesman said on Tuesday that Russia now plans to use an air route to the east of Greece to transport the “aid”.

Russia’s RIA Novosti claimed last week that Greece had refused the US request, asserting that Russia was seeking permission to run the flights from September 1 to September 24.

See Syria Analysis: Challenging the Rumors of Russia’s Military Intervention…Again

Activists: At Least 1591 Regime Barrel Bombs in August

The Syrian Network for Human Rights offers a province-by-province breakdown of the Assad regime’s barrel bombings in August:

Claimed Video: Regime Forces Fighting in Zabadani in Damascus Province

Claimed footage of regime forces, in their offensive alongside Hezbollah, in Zabadani in Damascus Province:

Pro-regime outlets are claiming the capture of the banking sector in the town, 31 km (19 miles) northwest of Damascus.

The Hezbollah-regime offensive began on July 3 but has struggled to complete the takeover of Zabadani, captured by the Free Syrian Army in January 2012.

Islamic State Battle With Regime Continues Near Palmyra and Key Gas Field

The battle between Islamic State fighters and regime forces is continuing west of Palmyra in central Syria.

Pro-regime sources say the Islamic State attacked the areas of Wadi Al-Sahlah and Al-Bayarat on Monday, as a sandstorm moved through the region. They claim the assault was repelled.

On Sunday, the Islamic State took the nearby town of Jazal and threatened to move into the Jazal gas fields. However, the Syrian military said it recaptured Jazal on Monday.

An Islamic State offensive in May captured the Roman-era city Palmyra and took a series of oil and gas fields in Homs Province.