Clashes between government forces, opposition persist in Syria’s northwest
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Mutual shelling between the Turkish-backed armed Syrian National Army (SNA) and Syrian government forces continued on Thursday night in several areas in northwest Syria.
The government forces targeted the villages and towns of al-Fatira, Kafr Oweid, Sfuhen, Kansafra, and the villages of Benin, Ruwaiha and Fleifel in Zawiya Mountain, south of Idlib, military sources of the opposition told North Press.
They added that the government forces targeted with several shells the vicinity of a Turkish convoy while it was passing near the town of Balion, south of Idlib.
The government shelling reported no casualties.
“The government’s bombing also struck the villages and towns of Kafr Nouran, Tuqad, Kafr Amma, Kafr Taal, Sheikh Suleiman, Bilinta and Makalbis in the western countryside of Aleppo,” the sources added.
“The villages of Enkawi and Sarmania in Ghab Plain in the far northwest of Hama were bombed by the government forces, the sources added.
Al-Fateh al-Mubin Operations’ Room targeted government forces’ positions in al-Malaja, Kawkaba, and al-dar al-kaberah, south of Idlib, and also Hayer Derkil west of Aleppo with heavy artillery and missiles, a military sources in National Front for Liberation, affiliated with the SNA, told North Press.
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.
Since the beginning of July, several fronts south of Idlib and west of Aleppo have been witnessing an unprecedented military escalation, which is the first of its kind since the signing of the de-escalation agreement between Russia and Turkey in March 2020.