Turkey continues to hold talks with Russia over the situation in Idlib amid ongoing escalation by Syrian regime forces who continue to violate the ceasefire agreement signed on March 5 in Moscow.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Turkish sources said that both Ankara and Moscow want to maintain ceasefire in Idlib and calm in the de-escalation areas while working to tighten the grip on militant groups.
The sources also affirmed that Ankara will neither reduce the number of its forces in northern Syria nor withdraw heavy weapons, noting that the repositioning process in some observation points in northwestern Syria was carried out in coordination with Moscow to prevent clashes with the regime forces and separate them from opposition factions.
Ankara will proceed in reinforcing its military posts in northern Syria, the sources stressed, adding that it aims to prevent developments that would create a new wave of displacement towards its borders.
Meanwhile, Regime forces launched missile strikes on Saturday targeting the southern countryside of Idlib, while Russian reconnaissance planes continued to fly over Idlib's airspace.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the regime carried out intensive bombardment with heavy weapons, targeting residential neighborhoods in Areha city, Nahlaya, Maarbaleet villages in rural Idlib, Taqad and Kafr Ammah in the western countryside of Aleppo, leaving several civilians dead.
Also, opposition factions fired artillery shells and rockets on regime positions in al-Malajah and Hazarin in the southern countryside of Idlib.
Reports have revealed the opposition factions’ plan to restructure their operations room to improve their ability to face any military escalation in Idlib by the regime forces and Russia.
Factions will form a “unified military council” and restructure the military, ending the role of “Al-Fateh Al-Mubin” operations room, reports added.
Three military commanders will head the council, representing each of the Faylaq al-Sham, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham groups. The plan aim at unifying efforts, organizing ranks, developing military coordination and gathering all available military capacities in one military operations room.
Separately, the Syrian National Coalition of the Revolutionary Forces and opposition has discussed the possibility of the deterioration of the military situation in Idlib, in light of the recent escalation, and the possibility of coordinating with Washington and Ankara to avoid such outcomes.
President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) Nasr al-Hariri held on Thursday a meeting with Syrian National Army soldiers. The parties discussed the possibility of the collapse of the Idlib ceasefire agreement and the means to avoid it.
According to a statement, the meeting also tackled Russia’s recent escalation by targeting a Faylaq al-Sham- affiliated camp, northwest of Idlib, and the consequences of its attacks.
