Mutual shelling between government, Turkey, and opposition in Syria’s Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Turkish-backed armed opposition groups shelled Syrian government points south of Idlib with artillery on Sunday.
Syrian government forces retaliated, shelling areas south of Idlib where Turkish-backed opposition groups were stationed. The Syrian Observatory Human Rights confirmed that Syrian government forces shelled areas in Idlib’s southern countryside on Sunday morning.
Furthermore, Turkish troops shelled government-held areas in the southern and eastern Idlib countryside.
The head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria in Hmeimim said on Saturday that armed opposition groups shelled areas in Latakia and Aleppo.
He added, “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) shelled populated places in Latakia and Aleppo.”
In a statement, he further explained that “two attacks on areas in both Aleppo and Latakia were documented from points where the terrorist Nusra Front was stationed.”
Additionally, Syrian government forces bombed areas in Zawiya Mountain in the countryside of Idlib, recording no casualties. The Russian Ministry of Defense launched a Russian-Turkish joint exercise in order to counter the attacks of the armed groups against Russian-Turkish joint patrols on the M4 Highway. The first exercise started in August, while the second started on September 5.
This exercise aimed to guarantee the safety of Russian-Turkish joint patrols on the M4 Highway in Idlib to ease escalation.
The exercise includes training on the cooperation method during the path of the patrol, joint shooting, withdrawing affected military equipment, and providing first aid to wounded.
Russia is the Syrian government’s most powerful ally and since 2015 has helped it retake much of the country from rebels, turning the tide in the civil war. The Turkish-Russian deals enabled Syrian government forces to move back into border regions from which they had been absent for years.