Russia 'shoots down unidentified drones' near Syria airbase

Russia's Hmeimim airbase in Syria, announced on Sunday it had shot down unidentified drone aircrafts in a rural area near the base in Latakia governate, on Syria's west coast.

The base did not giver further details, but Syrian regime media reported that "hostile targets" were shot down over the airbase at Hmeimim, and over the city of Qardaha on the Syrian coast at dawn on Sunday.

In addition, the media circulated a video recording purporting to show an aircraft being shot down near the village of Ras al-Qalawriyah, Latakia, which was allegedly targeting the Hmeimim base.

The Hmeimim airbase serves as the main hub for Russian operations in Syria. It was reportedly not damaged during Sunday's attack.

Meanwhile in nearby Hama, regime forces with Russian backing carried out airstrikes on the towns of al-Lataminah and Kafr Zita, alongside rocket and artillery bombardment of the villages of Latmin and Lahaya.

However the most brutal fighting in recent days has been in Daraa in Syria's south.

At least eight battered rebel-held towns in Daraa returned to regime control under Russian-brokered deals on Saturday as airstrikes killed at least 15 civilians, according to a monitor.

Drone attacks, such as the one witnessed on Sunday, are often attributed to Syrian rebel groups, which on this occasion could be retaliation for the bloody offensive in Daraa, one of the last rebel-held territories in the country.