Syrian armed factions took of three villages from regime forces in the eastern countryside of Idleb, military sources told Zaman al-Wasl Wednesday.
The Turkish-backed forces launched a surprise attack on eastern Idleb 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 (SNA) sent reinforcements to face the military campaign last week and halt the regime’s advance.
A total of 140 SNA military vehicles were sent from the southern countryside of Aleppo to rebel positions in the southern countryside of Idleb, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
On Dec. 20, 2019, the regime and its allies launched a military campaign mainly in the cities of Maarat al-Nu’man 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 Idleb, Turkey’s interior minister said Tuesday.
Speaking in Ankara, Suleyman Soylu said that Turkey will never abandon its neighboring countries, adding that Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and the Turkish Red Crescent have helped many of those affected.
Turkey is continuing with intensive efforts to help all displaced people with its official and non-governmental organizations, Soylu underlined.
Airstrikes in the region were halted following a visit to Moscow by a Turkish delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal on Dec. 23, 2019.
Turkey and Russia agreed in September 2018 to turn Idleb 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 a million Syrians moved to the Turkish border due to the intense attacks last year.
According to the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, Idleb province is home to around 3 million civilians, 75 percent of them women and children.
This article was 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.
