New Turkish military reinforcements arrive in NW Syria
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Turkish forces sent on Saturday a new military convoy consisting of military and logistic equipment to the de-escalation zone in northwest Syria. This came a day after Syrian government reinforcements arrived in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo.
Military sources told North Press that a Turkish military convoy consisting of 16 military, logistic, and armored vehicles entered through Kafr Lossin border crossing in northern Idlib into Syrian territories. The vehicles headed towards Turkish posts in Zawiya Mountain in the south of Idlib.
The convoy included 12 armored vehicles and four trucks loaded with ammunition and logistic supplies, the sources noted.
The Turkish reinforcements arrived a day after government forces sent military reinforcement to contact lines with Turkish-backed armed opposition, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS – formerly al-Nusra Front) in the countryside of Idlib and the southern and western countryside of Aleppo.
On August 7, the Turkish forces sent a convoy of military and logistic equipment to the de-escalation zone.
Although the de-escalation zone in northwest Syria is subject to a Russian-Turkish ceasefire agreement signed in March 2020, the area witnesses frequent mutual bombardment despite the entry of the ceasefire into force.
In March 2020, Russia and Turkey reached an agreement in Moscow that stipulated a ceasefire, the establishment of a safe corridor, and the conduct of joint patrols on the M4/Aleppo-Latakia Highway.
The M4 Highway runs from Latakia to Saraqib, southeast of Idlib. It also connects Ariha and Jisr al-Shughur in the southern and southwestern countryside of Idlib. Its length is 120 km. It arrives until Aleppo, and from there, it has been expanded as a two-lane expressway that continues further east into the Iraqi border, ultimately reaching its destination at Mosul.