Syrian army personnel found a large ammunition depot abandoned by the retreat, including a sample of weapons from Western countries, near the town of Kafr Jum (Aleppo governorate), where a terrorist training base was operating and an artisanal armament factory was operating.
The town of Kafr Jum is located on the M5 highway between the cities of Aleppo and Hama, which was to be operated under the Sochi agreement by creating a buffer zone. Grenade launchers, mortars, artillery barrels and spare parts were found in a warehouse belonging to the Jabhat al-Nusra group and its units. Many samples are marked in English, Turkish and other languages. Particular attention was drawn to a specimen similar to the Stinger man-portable air defence missile system (MANPADS) used by NATO countries.
“It’s most likely a Stinger, very similar to the Stinger”, – a Syrian military man viewing the warehouse told reporters.
The entire arsenal found will be documented, including to find out where the militants got the weapons.
A terrorist training centre with a firing range and an obstacle course was found next to the arsenal. The Syrian military noted that the centre was taught to shoot not only with submachine guns but also with artillery weapons, which were probably produced nearby, in a former clothing factory. Howitzers made from pipes for drilling rigs and blanks for ammunition were found in former workshops.
“Absolutely everything was stolen – the most expensive machines in the first place. The ones that were cheaper, they wanted to scrap, broke, and then dropped. Now we are afraid to go there again”, – plant employee Muhammad Assani told Russian journalists. The plant employees believe the workshops are mined by retreating terrorists. After mine clearance, they plan to rebuild the plant.
The sewing factory, which is nearby, has similar plans. “Before the war, we worked mainly for export, our fabrics were known in all fashion houses in Europe, the factory employed about 200 people. In 2007, we had just finished re-equipment – all the machines were new, but in 2011 the militants took over the place, looted absolutely everything. Now we are starting from scratch. And that’s when we can start, when we restore the light, until there’s even no light”, – said Oddakh Samman, director of the sewing factory.