Idlib locals worry as regime offensive looms
Syrian officials’ statements about the coming battle for Idlib are alarming the residents of the rebel-held province.
IDLIB, Syria — Al-Haj Abu Youssef keeps up with the news at the top of the hour in his small shop in al-Dabit, a neighborhood in the suburbs of Idlib, eager to hear reassuring news about the fate of his city.
Abu Youssef and others share concerns about statements made by political and military officials in Damascus about a possible military attack to retake Idlib province from the opposition factions that could force hundreds of thousands into displacement.
These concerns have sparked heated debates all over Idlib, where residents cannot help but worry about where they would go.
Abu Youssef sits in his shop on a bamboo chair with his eye fixed on the television, switching channels. “I think it is possible. No — I am sure that the regime will attack Idlib’s countryside, supported by Russian air cover. But when and how deep into Idlib will it reach? That is what keeps me up at night,” he told Al-Monitor.
