Syrian regime forces have recaptured more than 600 square kilometers of territory so far in a campaign to seize control of the last rebel strongholds of Idlib and the Aleppo countryside, a statement from Syria’s armed forces said on Sunday.
Syria’s armed forces have taken control of dozens of towns and villages in recent days as part of the campaign, the statement said.
Zaman al-Wasl reporter said the regime forces on Sunday have taken control of 11 villages including the village of al-Eis and its strategic hill just east of the M5.
In their turn, rebels had destroyed two tanks and heavy armored for the elite Fourth Mechanical Division and Iran-led militias waste of Aleppo, using TOW missiles, rebel commander told Zaman al-Wasl.
Pro-regime activists mourned more than 40 fighters loyal to Assad, including three General Brigadiers; said rebels killed them in the past 72 hours in northern Syria.
Meanwhile, a Turkish military convoy, included armored vehicles and tanks, has entered Idlib province on Sunday to be the latest reinforcements sent in by Ankara amid a Syrian regime offensive this week brought the two countries' troops into a rare direct confrontation.
Turkey will use its right of self-defense in the strongest manner if Turkey faces a new attack in Syria, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday, AA reported.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday a convoy consisting of 430 vehicles entered Syria since Friday night, raising the number of vehicles that entered Syria since last weekend to well over 1,000.
A rare clash on Feb. 3, between Turkish troops and Syrian soldiers left seven Turkish soldiers and a Turkish civilian dead as well as 13 Syrian troops.
The weekslong regime offensive has created a humanitarian crisis with about 600,000 people fleeing their homes in Syria's last rebel stronghold since the beginning of December, according to the United Nations.
Rebels control much of Idlib province and parts of the neighboring Aleppo region that is home to some 3 million people — many of them displaced from other parts of Syria.
The regime offensive appears aimed for now at securing a strategic highway in rebel-controlled territory, as opposed to an all-out campaign to retake the entire province, including the city of Idlib, the densely populated provincial capital.
"Our aim is to clear the highway and evict terrorists from it," a Syrian commander on the ground told state TV. He was referring to the M5 highway, which links the capital Damascus with the northern city of Aleppo.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said government forces still have 30 kilometers (18 miles) of the highway to clear before it comes under full control of the army for the first time since 2012.
-Pope calls for Idlib-
Pope Francis called on Sunday for respect of humanitarian law in Idlib province.
He told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s square that the reports from Idlib were “painful ... particularly regarding the conditions of women and children, of people forced to flee from a military escalation.”
“I renew my heartfelt appeal to the international community and all parties involved to use diplomatic means, dialogue and negotiations, in respect of international humanitarian law, to safeguard the lives and fate of civilians,” Pope Francis said.
He then led the crowd in a special spontaneous prayer “for this beloved and martyred Syria”.
Turkey and Russia support opposing sides in Syria’s nearly nine-year civil war, but have forged a series of agreements since 2017 aimed at containing the bloodshed.
Turkey already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees and President Tayyip Erdogan threatened this week to repel the Russian-backed Syrian forces unless they withdraw from the region.
The violence has also raised tensions between Russia and Turkey, which have been working together to secure cease-fires and political talks, despite backing opposite sides of the conflict.
(Zaman Al Wasl, Agencies)
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