Syria’s northwest undergoes unusual shelling between government, opposition

IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Friday, Syrian opposition factions and Turkish forces escalated their shelling against positions of Syrian government forces in the countryside of Hama, Aleppo, Latakia and Idlib, northwest Syria.

Russian warplanes shelled, earlier today, houses west of Idlib, killing seven individuals, including children, near the village of al-Jadida north of the city of Jisr al-Shughur, west of Idlib.

A military source from the opposition told North Press, “Al-Fateh al-Mubin Operations’ Room factions targeted with over 100 artillery shells and missiles sites of the government forces in the city of Suqaylabiyah and the villages of Jurin, al-Bahsa, Na’ur Jurin, Foro, Barakeh, Attera and Nubl al-Khatib west of Hama.”

The shelling, also, hit sites in the town of Qardaha, as well as villages and towns of Slinfah and Salma in the northern countryside of Latakia.

Additionally, Turkish forces stationed in bases in the countryside of Idlib participated in the shelling against the government forces’ sites in al-Dar al-Kabirah, Bsakla and Jbala camp south of Idlib, according to the same sources.

The sources added that al-Fateh al-Mubin Opperations’ Room factions hit with dozens missiles and artillery shells the government forces’ positions in the cities and towns of Saraqib, Ma`arat al-Nu`man, Kafr Nabl, the villages of Dadikh, Tel Mardikh, Khan Assubul, Milaja, and Kafr Battikh southeast of Idlib, in addition to other sites in Urem Al-Kubra, Base 46, Mizanaz and  Ainjara west of Aleppo.              

Local sources told North Press that the government forces targeted the opposition sites in the village of Afes east of Idlib and others in the villages of al-maouzrah and al-Fatira in Zawiya Mountain south of Idlib.

The government shelling left several wounded.

The Friday military escalation the de-escalation zone northwest Syria has witnessed is the first of its kind since signing a Russian-Turkish ceasefire agreement in March 2020.

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.

Reporting by Baha al-Nobani