Violent shelling between government, SNA erupted in Syria’s northwest
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – De-escalation zone in the countryside of Hama, Aleppo and Latakia in northwest Syria witnessed on Tuesday mutual shelling between Syrian government forces and Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, known as Syrian National Army (SNA).
A military source of the SNA told North Press that the government forces targeted the SNA factions in the western countryside of Idlib with cluster bombs and rocket launchers in the outskirts of Harsh, the town of Bsnaqul, west of Idlib.
In addition, they targeted the villages of Kansafra, Fatteiah, Kafr Oweid, Sfuhen, al-Bara, and Binin in Zawiya Mountain, south of Idlib.
The government’s bombing also struck the villages and towns of Kafr Nouran, Tuqad, Kafr Amma, Kafr Taal, Sheikh Suleiman, and Makalbis in the western countryside of Aleppo, the sources added.
Al-Fateh al-Mubin Operations’ Room targeted government forces’ positions in Tel Abu Asa’ad, north of Latakia and al-Burkah in Ghab Plain, west of Hama, with heavy artillery and missiles, a military sources of the 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.