Battle for Idlib draws near as sides take position
Russia is conducting air raids on several areas in Idlib while the Syrian government shells de-escalation zones.
On Aug. 18, three Russian jets conducted 12 air raids using thermobaric missiles on the outskirts of the Harbanoush and Kokania villages to the west of the villages of Maarat al-Sin and al-Sheikh Bahr as well as al-Salama camp in western Idlib.
The airstrikes came in spite of a March 5 agreement between Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan and his counterpart Russian President Vladimir Putin to establish a security corridor around the strategic M4 highway connecting Aleppo and Latakia provinces.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Aug. 2 that the regime forces had brought in new military reinforcements in the Idlib countryside, suggesting that the Syrian regime was preparing for a possible battle in the area. In an Aug. 12 speech before the People’s Council, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed to “liberate the remaining lands to preserve the unity of our land and ensure our people’s protection.”
The Russian raids prompted the Turkish army to reinforce its positions in the Idlib countryside.
