Second Russian aircraft targets Syrian de-escalation zones amid armed clashes

North-Press Agency

HAMA, Syria – After Tuesday-Wednesday midnight, Russian warplanes renewed their shelling on al-Ghab Plain in the northern Hama countryside, amid violent clashes in the Zawiya Mountain area.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Russian warplanes carried out four raids between al-Qarqur and the thermal power station in al-Ghab Plain, without any information regarding casualties so far.

Syrian government forces continue to target areas in al-Ruwayha, Benin, al-Fatira, Sufouhn, and Kansafra in the Zawiya Mountain area in the southern countryside of Idlib, where violent clashes took place between them and armed opposition groups in al-Ruwayha and Benin, without reported losses between the two parties.

A field source told North-Press that Russian warplanes have been flying intensively over the de-escalation zone for several days.

On Tuesday, yesterday, the military office of the Turkish-backed National Front for Liberation announced in a statement that the eastern areas of Zawiya Mountain have become a military zone and civilians' presence there is prohibited beginning today, Wednesday.

Three days ago, confrontations between government forces and armed opposition groups escalated. Yesterday evening, planes believed to be Russian targeted two villages west of Ma`rat al-Numan with precision strikes after mutual shelling between government forces and the groups.

This comes in conjunction with residents’ fear of the return of conflict after Syrian government forces increased military buildup in the Saraqeb, Ma`rat al-Numan and Zawiya Mountain areas recently.

Battles in Idlib stopped after the ceasefire agreement between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in March.