Heavy Bombardment in Syria’s Last Rebel-Held Province
DAMASCUS, (BM) – The Syrian army has resumed operations against armed rebels in Idlib, scrapping a ceasefire in the last opposition-held stronghold, learned BulgarianMilitary.com, quoting AlJazeera.
In a statement carried by state media on Monday, the army accused the rebels of violating the truce that was brokered last week during talks in Kazakhstan following a three-month campaign supported by Russia.
“Armed terrorist groups, backed by Turkey, refused to abide by the ceasefire and launched many attacks on civilians in surrounding areas,” SANA reported the army as saying. “The armed forces will resume their military operations against terrorists,” it said.
Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Suruc on the Turkey-Syria border, said opposition activists reported a number of air raids on Khan Sheikhoun, a rebel-controlled town in southern Idlib.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian government air raids resumed on the region minutes after the truce was cancelled, before Russian planes joined in too. Russian jets pounded the western edge of the enclave, while aircraft from both sides resumed bombardment of its southern flank, the UK-based war monitor said.
Read more: Syrian Airstrikes Killed Nine Civilians in Rebel-Held Northwest Syria
Russia’s defence ministry meanwhile said rebels had shelled the outskirts of its key airbase of Hmeimim in the adjacent province of Latakia.
The airbase was unaffected by the attack, the RIA news agency quoted the ministry as saying.
Syrian state media and opposition activists had reported repeated violations of the truce by both sides since it went into effect on August 1.
Syrian state media had said at the time the ceasefire would depend on armed groups fulfilling a 2018 deal aiming to create a buffer zone in Idlib. The Sochi agreement was brokered by Russia, the main ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad; and Turkey, which supports some rebel groups in the region.
Read more: Turkey Has Increased Its Military Deployment with Tanks and Artillery Near the Syrian Border
Under the deal, armed groups in the last rebel-held province were required to retreat 20km from demilitarised areas around the stronghold, as well as withdraw their heavy weapons from the front lines.
Al Jazeera’s Neave Barker, reporting from Istanbul, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had called on the world to “pay attention to what’s happening in Idlib”.
“There are great concerns that if an assault driven by the Syrian leadership happens, then it could see an upsurge in people once again fleeing north to Turkey,” Barker said.
Read more: A New Chemical Experts Team Will Investigate Nine Alleged Attacks in Syria
For now, he said, Turkey can “exert whatever influence it can over the rebel groups it backs”.
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Source: Al Jazeera