(Zaman Al Wasl)- A father and hid child son were killed Thursday in Russian airstrikes on the town of Kafranbel as regime forces backed by Russia have been mobilizing troops in the southern countryside of Idlib, seeking to take the last rebel stronghold near coastal Latakia province, field sources told Zaman al-Wasl.
The new move came as rebels showed resistance by thwarting several incursion attempts by the regime forces and allied Russian Special Forces in the southern countryside of Idlib and strategic al-Kabana hilltops in Latakia in the last few weeks.
Clashes have been reported since Sunday in Tal Ja’afar area as Russia's forces use advanced military equipment backed by heavy artillery fire.
Rebels also clashed with regime forces in the Kabana area in the northern countryside of Latakia as regime forces press to cut a supply route between rebels of Idlib and Bashar al-Assad's hometown coastal region.
Wednesday clashes at al Kabana battlefront left15 army troops killed, activists said.
The artillery and rocket attacks continued on Idlib region which is home to some three million people.
Three women were killed and four children wounded Friday when the regime's artillery fire struck Jisr al-Shughour region.
On Thursday, the regime attacked a marketplace in the village of al-Janudiya near the Turkish border, leaving 10 people killed and 14 wounded, according to the White Helmets.
The de-escalation zone is currently home to some four million civilians, including hundreds of thousands displaced in recent years by regime forces from throughout the war-weary country.
Most of Idlib province and parts of neighbouring Aleppo and Latakia provinces are controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist group led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate.
Meanwhile, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday that talks between Turkish and Russian officials on developments in northeast Syria have concluded and the two delegations have “largely” reached an agreement,
On Tuesday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Russia had informed Turkey that the Syrian Kurdish YPG had left a planned “safe zone” within a deadline set by Ankara and Moscow. Under their agreement, Russia and Turkey were then due to start joint patrols.
“Inter-delegation talks with Russia were concluded a short while ago. An agreement was largely reached. Our efforts continue in a mutually constructive, understanding way,” Akar was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.
Bashar al-Assad, who now controls around 60 percent of the country, has vowed to reclaim the rest, including Idlib.
Eight years of war in Syria have killed 560,000 people and driven half the pre-war population of 22 million from their homes, including more than 6 million as refugees to neighbouring countries.
Zaman Al Wasl
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