IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – A year after his return to Ma’arat al-Na’san, east of Idlib, northeast Syria, which is under the Turkish-backed armed dactions’ control, Tha’er al-Juma’ is still residing in a cracked house of one of his relatives who immigrated. The house was subjected to the bombardment during the military campaign carried out by the Syrian government forces and Russia at the beginning of 2020.
He is afraid to rehabilitate two rooms of the almost-destroyed house in light of the military escalation that the areas in the southern countryside of Idlib have been witnessing.
Residents of the areas in the countryside of Idlib fear that their houses may be destroyed after rehabilitation amid news reporting that the government forces intend to launch a military operation in the region.
For months, the regions of Zawiya Mountain, south of Idlib, and Ghab Plain in the western countryside of Hama, have been witnessing a military escalation and mutual shelling between the pro-Turkish armed factions and government forces despite the entry into force of a cease-fire agreement signed between Russia and Turkey in March 2020.
The recent escalation left casualties and displaced hundreds amid news of a military build-up in the vicinity of the countryside of Idlib, Hama, Aleppo and Latakia, northwest Syria.
“No trust in Turkey”
Al-Juma’ said that the house he currently resides in has cracked walls and is liable to collapse at any time, especially since it was bombed several times last year.
He found himself forced to stay in that house in light of the scarcity of houses for rent in the town.
The Turkish position of the military escalation is absent which sparks the residents’ doubts of its intention of handing over the area to the government forces, as happened previously in northern Hama and southeast Idlib.
The Turkish forces deployed more than 60 military posts in the countryside of Idlib, concentrating in the Zawiya Mountain. The number of members are estimated at 13,000 in addition to hundreds of military vehicles.
In mid-July, most of the areas hosting these posts condemned the Turkish silence to the military escalation in the Zawiya Mountain.
At the time, the protesters raised banners that read “to the Turkish guarantor, Mr. Erdogan, if you cannot protect our children then let us die quietly so that history will write that the Turkish army is killing our children.”
During the past days, according to opposition military sources, the government forces bombed the villages and towns of Mantef, al-Fatira, Fleifel, Deir Sunbul, Benin, al-Bara, and Kansafra in the Zawiya Mountain with rockets and heavy artillery shells.
“The government forces also targeted the villages of Ma’rzaf and Benin in the eastern part of Zawiya Mountain from their positions in the vicinity of Ma’arat al-Nu’man with laser-guided artillery shells,” the sources added.
Suspended-building houses
Early this week, the town of Ma’arat al-Na’san, which is adjacent to the government forces-held areas in the western countryside of Aleppo, was subjected to artillery and missile shelling that targeted residential neighborhoods in the town.
Recently, Mu’ayed Ghazal, a resident form Taftanaz town, east of Idlib, which has been witnessing a relative calm since early-2021, managed to complete the restoration of his destroyed house after news of a military mobilization of the government forces in the western countryside of Aleppo.
Ghazal abandoned the idea of building a new house for his son who is getting married soon.
“The construction of two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom costs about $7,000 (22 million Syrian pound), due to the skyrocketing prices of construction materials,” he added.
“I will not risk paying this amount for a house that could be demolished at any moment in a town that its citizens could be displaced at any moment especially as it is near the regime-controlled areas,” he referred.
Ahmad, the eldest son of Ghazal chose to temporarily reside in an almost-destroyed house as his wedding day is approaching.
“We do not have any other option; we cannot construct houses with the money that we have because we will need it if we displaced,” Ahmad said.
He indicated that the residents fear from the ambiguous Turkish position as it only cares about its interests and will certainly hand over Idlib if it received new areas in Syria.