IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Syrian armed opposition factions’ leaders in Syria’s northwest city of Idlib believe the military escalation in Idlib, which followed Astana Peace Talks 17th round, indicates the lack of solutions in the foreseeable future and brings messages to Turkey by Russia.
Days after a relative calm, Russian warplanes resumed carrying out airstrikes on opposition factions-held territories in the de-escalation zone.
Mutual bombardment took place in different areas in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo cities.
Yesterday, Russian warplanes air raided the towns of al-Bara, al-Mozarah, Kafr Daryan and the vicinity of al-Jadida village situated in Jisr al-Shughur area in addition to Sahl Ruj area. Simultaneously, the Syrian government forces launched a ground offensive on these regions.
This time, Russian airstrikes were more violent than two months ago, military sources told North Press.
Previous 16 rounds of Astana Peace Talks, where the first round kicked off in early 2017, failed to push forward a political solution to the Syrian crisis. Also, the guarantor countries did not commit to their resolutions to the ceasefire and establishing a de-escalation zone in Syria.
On December 21, the 17th round of Astana Peace Talks were convened in Kazakhstan’s capital with the participation of the guarantor countries (Iran, Russia and Turkey) as well as delegations of the United Nations, the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition.
The final statement of the 17th session mostly tackled issues of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, terrorism, and humanitarian assistance.
Russia does not abide by its commitment
Resuming airstrikes by Russia, following last Astana round, is something normal since Russia does not see itself complied with any decisions or agreements, even those took by Russia, Turkey and Iran combined, according to military figures in the Syrian opposition.
In an exclusive interview with North Press, Youssef Hamoud, spokesman of the Syrian National Army (SNA) said, “Russian procedures on the ground are totally different from the statements it releases in Astana Peace Talks since its first round”.
“Russia intervened in Syria solely to achieve a Russian project, not to hold meetings or negotiations to find a political solution,” he said, adding that “the Russians have committed hundreds of massacres against the civilians in Syria since their intervention. They have tested various types of latest weapons in Syria”.
Hamoud noted to the Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu announcement who said Russia has tested over 320 types of weapons in its operations in Syria and has trained hundreds of pilots and officers.
Every new type of weapon Russia manufactures and tests on the Syrian land promotes for its propaganda in the global weapons industry.
“Russia’s intervention in Syria is certainly to achieve long-term goals; Russia wants to reach the warm water port in the Mediterranean Sea and raise level of the Russian international resolution. Its first intervention in Syria was a fake. It said it will fight terrorism but it was a war against the vulnerable civilians,” Hamoud added.
He believes Russia attempts to achieve its ambitions, i.e. to make Assad re-control whole Syrian territories again and then impose an international resolution to the Syrian crisis through a Russian vision.
“Military factions are ready for this option and are full ready to defend the region.”
Message to Turkey
The military escalation in Syria’s northwest following the end of the Astana round indicates that the participants have not reached any agreement but to keep the current conditions ongoing until the next round, the spokesman of Jaysh al-Izza, Mustafa Bakour, said.
In an exclusive interview with North Press, Bakour did not expect any military operation, at least, during the first half of 2022.
“The Russian shelling is an attempt to prove its existence and a message to Turkey and the international community that any settlement in Syria cannot be launched but through Russia,” he said.
Additionally, the main goal of Russia is to pressure Turkish forces to open highways such as Aleppo-Latakia highway known as M4 Highway.
“The opposition should put forward some concrete proposals and not indulge in speculations that there can be no changes as long as Bashar Assad is in power,” Russian President’s Special Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev said, few days ago.
The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) made its response, on December 28, saying statements of Russia’s special residential envoy for Syria are a rejected intervention in choices of the Syrians and in the track of the political process.
Speech of the Russian the President’s Special Envoy for Syria regarding the constitution “is an intervention in issues that are not out of their business,” the spokesman of Astana delegation of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), Ayman al-Asmi, said.
“This is not a task of Lavrentiev’s in Syria,” he added.
The head of the Syrian Negotiation Committee, Anas al-Abdah, said on December 29 that the Syrian opposition renewed its rejection of “the survival of the regime’s president, Bashar al-Assad.”
In a series of tweets, al-Abdah said the statements of Russian officials regarding the political process are completely separate from the basic principles of UN Resolution 2254.
Al-Abdah added that the Syrian opposition accepted to participate in the political process for the full implementation of the UN resolution 2254 and the political transition.
A ground operation is excluded
The latest military escalation in the de-escalation zone, northwest Syria, aims to direct a message to Turkey which Russia accuses of failing to implement what was agreed upon between Russia and Turkey in March 5 of 2020, Dr. Naser al-Youssef, a Syrian political analyst residing in the Russian capital, Moscow, said.
One of the most important agreed upon terms is to separate between moderate armed factions, according to Russian description, and the terrorist ones led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) in addition to opening the M4 Highway which is important for Russians.
Al-Youssef believes that the limited military operations in northwest Syria may continue until those terms are implemented.
Meanwhile, Russia “will not implement a broad-scale military operation in the area because Russia does not break up with Turkey no matter how angry it is with Turkey,” he noted.
“Issues that bring Russia close to Turkey are much more than Syria,” he added.