Government forces, HTS escalate in Syria’s northwest
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – The de-escalation zone in the countryside of Idlib, Aleppo and Hama in northwestern Syria witnessed on Saturday night a military escalation, a mutual shelling, and attempts to advance that are the first of its kind since the signing of the de-escalation agreement between Turkey and Russia.
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.
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.
The Syrian government forces fired more than 150 artillery and rocket shells at the villages and towns of Kafr Taal, Kafr Amma, Tadil, al-Wasata, al-Qasr, al-Atarib, Kafr Nouran, al-Abzimo and al-Sahara in the western countryside of Aleppo, a military source of the Syrian opposition told North Press.
The shelling also targeted the city of Sarmin and the town of Afes, east of Idlib, and the villages and towns of Fatterah, Kafr Oweid, Sfohen, Kansafra, al-Bara and the outskirts of the Turkish post near the city of Ariha, south of Idlib, and the villages of al-Sermaniya, al-Enkawi and Kherbet al-Naqus in Ghab Plain, west of Hama, the source added.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front), managed to thwart an attempt by the government forces to advance on the area of al-Malaja in Zawiya Mountain, south of Idlib. The government forces have tried to advance and regain the areas they lost five times in a week but without achieving any progress.
The HTS attacked posts of the government forces in the village of Kafr Taal, west of Aleppo, and took control of several posts after violent clashes with them, resulting in the killing of more than 20 soldiers and wounding 15 others, according to the source.
“The Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria announced “the killing of 14 soldiers of the Syrian army in an attack by al-Nusra Front in Latakia province, western Syria, as well as the killing of 5 terrorists”.
Pro-government media outlets and social media pages reported the killing of 16 soldiers in an attack by the HTS in Turkmen Mountain, north of Latakia on Saturday morning.