Armed opposition takes 3 villages from regime forces in eastern Idlib

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian armed factions took of three villages from regime forces in the eastern countryside of Idlib, military sources told Zaman al-Wasl Wednesday.

The Turkish-backed forces launched a surprise attack on eastern Idlib where the Russian-backed regime force and allied militias have made rapid gains in the last rebel stronghold since mid-December.

The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army sent reinforcements to face the military campaign last week to halt regime advance.

A total of 140 SNA military vehicles were sent from the southern countryside of Aleppo to the rebel positions in the southern countryside of Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

On Dec. 20, the regime and its allies launched a military campaign mainly in the cities of Maarat Al-Numan and Saraqib as well as the surrounding rural areas, capturing 35 residential areas.

So far, Bashar al-Assad’s offensive has displaced more than 300,000 people in Idlib, Turkey's interior minister said Tuesday.

Turkey will never abandon its neighboring countries, said Suleyman Soylu in the country's capital Ankara, adding that Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and the Turkish Red Crescent have helped many of the affected.

Turkey is continuing with intensive efforts to help all displaced people with its official and non-governmental organizations, Soylu underlined.

Airstrikes on the region were halted following a visit to Moscow by a Turkish delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal on Dec. 23.

Turkey and Russia agreed in September 2018 to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

Since then, more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in attacks by the regime and Russian forces in the de-escalation zone as the cease-fire continues to be violated.

Over 1 million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border due to the intense attacks last year.

According to the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, Idlib province is home to around 3 million civilians, 75% of them women and children.

(Zaman Al Wasl, AA)

Zaman Al Wasl