In a statement on Monday, the Syria Humanitarian Response team documented the breaches of the ceasefire in northern Syria since Aug. 1, 2019, after the truce that was agreed at the Astana 13 talks.
The statement said that, “49 points were struck by infantry and 46 points were hit by ground weapons, with 25 civilians killed during the period following the breach of the agreement, including six children, in the Hama and Idleb provinces.”
The team said that “5,428 families (35,173 people) were displaced from the area after the breach of the deal,” and added that “15 service and educational centers were struck.”
The team said that Assad’s forces and Russia had managed to take control of more than seven areas included in the “demilitarized zone.”
Since pro-regime media declared recently they had taken control over the al-Sakhar, and the strategic Tel al-Sakhar (al-Sakhar hill), and the al-Jayshat silos in the northern Hama countryside, preceded by taking control over the towns of al-Zaka and al-Arbain north of Hama, after clashes with rebel groups operating in the area, rebel groups have continued to repel attempts by Assad’s forces to advance on the northern Hama fronts, killing and wounding a number in the Assad regime’s ranks.
Assad’s forces were able to take over the villages of Tel Malah and al-Jabin in the northern Hama countryside after battles lasting more than 50 days against opposition groups, with the Assad forces advancing days after resuming their military operations and overturning the ceasefire which they had reached at the 13th round of Astana talks, held on Aug. 1-2, 2019, in the Kazakh capital, with the Assad regime accusing Turkey and “armed groups” of violating the truce.
The Assad forces’ advance north of Hama was accompanied by airstrikes by Russian warplanes, as well as helicopters, on the villages and towns in the demilitarized zone agreed upon in the Sochi deal between Turkey and Russia.
The United Nations is concerned for the lives of civilians who returned to their towns and villages after the truce was announced, and called on parties to the conflict and countries concerned with the Syrian issue to protect civilians and not to strike civilian infrastructure.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
