Military escalation renews between parties to conflict in NW Syria
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Areas in the de-escalation zone, northwest Syria, witnessed on Wednesday military escalation and mutual shelling between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) and Syrian government forces.
Military sources from the opposition told North Press that the government forces hit with dozens artillery shells and missiles, the villages and towns of Kafr Amma, Kafr Taal, Tuqad, al-Wasatah, and A’ajel in the western countryside of Aleppo, as well as al-Fatterah, Kafr Oweid, Maarbalit, and Sfuhen in Zawiya Mountain south of Idlib.
The sources added that the government forces also targeted with heavy machineguns wheat crops that are situated near the villages of Khirbat al-Naqus and Kulaidan in Ghab Plain west of Hama, resulting in massive fires that devoured more than 50 acres.
Military sources in the National Front for Liberation told North Press that al-Fateh al-Mubin Operations Room targeted government forces’ sites in Milaja and Dadikh south of Idlib and in Basrton and Base 46 west of Aleppo.
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 shelling between the government forces and opposition factions, as well as Russian jet flights.
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 early this month the de-escalation zone has been witnessing a surge in mutual shelling and military escalation between the government forces and the opposition coinciding with the renewal of Russian airstrikes after a month halt.