ALEPPO, Syria — Syrian government forces announced Sept. 14 the opening of Abu al-Duhur crossing that connects the opposition-held areas and those under the government’s control in the eastern countryside of Idlib. Ever since, no displaced civilians have crossed it. The crossing was opened to allow displaced Syrians to return to their homes in northern Hama countryside and Khan Sheikhoun in southern Idlib, which the government seized in August.

Government forces accuse the opposition of preventing displaced families from reaching Abu al-Duhur crossing and returning to their regions. On Sept. 20, the state news agency SANA reported that “terrorist organizations” continue, for the eighth day in a row, “using civilians as human shields in their areas of deployment in Idlib province and are escalating their criminal practices to prevent civilians from reaching Abu al-Duhur crossing in the southeastern countryside to leave their [the opposition’s] areas of control.”

No change has been reported as of the time of this writing. The crossing remains open, but none of the displaced civilians living in camps in opposition-controlled areas in northern Idlib have crossed it. 

The government forces opened Abu al-Duhur crossing after making field advances against the opposition and controlling a large number of towns and villages in northern Hama and southern Idlib. Their tactics resembled to some extent those they used in their wide-scale attacks to control Daraa or eastern Ghouta. Russia opened crossings for displaced civilians to leave through from eastern Ghouta in February 2017 during the government’s military operations. The government’s military operations were usually coupled with opening the crossings for civilians to return to their towns after the regime gained control of them.