HTS, Syrian government reinforce positions in Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Heavy clashes occurred on Wednesday on Zawiya Mountain south of Idlib between government forces and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front). The two parties exchanged intense artillery fire as both reinforced their positions in the region.
Military sources in the al-Fateh al-Mubin Operations’ Room told North Press that HTS militias initiated “a qualitative operation against Syrian regime’s positions” near the city of Kafer Nabl south of Idlib, leading to the ongoing clashes.
Government forces have moved in fresh military reinforcements to contact line with Syrian opposition factions and HTS in the countryside of Idlib and north of Aleppo. The latter reinforced its positions, too.
Sources said that “overwhelming” government reinforcements advanced onto the contact line near Saraqeb, Ma’rat al-Nu’man, Kafer Nabl, and Khan Assubul, south and east of Idlib.
Additional reinforcements reached Base 46 and the towns of Mizanaz and Qabtan al-Jabal, west of Aleppo.
Within 24 hours, batches of soldiers from Division 25 and the Russian-backed Fifth Corps arrived in the region. The reinforcements included around 70 military vehicles, such as tanks and heavy artillery, in addition to dozens of soldiers.
Sources close to HTS confirmed that the latter also sent military reinforcements to all the contact lines it shares with government forces, set berms, dug trenches, and deployed heavy artillery and tanks.
Sending the reinforcements coincide with a general military escalation and near-daily infiltrations occurring in the region since early 2023 though Idlib has been ruled by a de-escalation agreement signed between Russia and Turkey since March 2020.