April 13, 2018 - 12:33 AMT
Russian jets flying above Syria after reports of U.S. spy planes near coast

Russian jets are highly active above Syria on Friday, April 13, following reports of U.S. spy planes near the coastal provinces of Tartous and Latakia, Al-Masdar News reports.

According to earlier reports, seven U.S. spy planes were flying along the Syrian coast, with some of the aircraft approaching the Hmaymim Military Airport in the southwestern part of Latakia.

While Russian jets have been routinely flying along the coast since the U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats, they have recently increased the number of flights over the last 12 hours.

Russian jets have also been cited in several places across Syria, including the Homs, Deir Ezzor, Hama, and Idlib governorates.

With the Syrian army facing a heavy attack from the Islamic State in southeast Homs, the Russian Air Force deployed some jets to aid them in their fight against the militant group.