fbpx
Wikipedia

Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)

August 23, 2023

Northwestern Syria offensive
(December 2019–March 2020)
Part of the Syrian Civil War and the Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate

Top: Situation in Northwestern Syria as of 8 March 2020. Locations of Turkish, Russian, and Iranian outposts are marked.
Bottom: Situation along the M4 Highway after the 6 March 2020 ceasefire.
  Syrian Army control
  Syrian Opposition control
  Syrian Army & SDF control
Date19 December 2019[9][10][11][12][13] – 6 March 2020
(2 months, 2 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Northwestern Syria
Result Syrian Army and allies victory[14]
Territorial
changes
Belligerents
 Syria
 Russia
 Iran
Allied militias:
PMF-affiliated militias
Liwa Fatemiyoun[1]
Liwa Zainebiyoun[1]
 Hezbollah[2][3]

Fateh Mubin operations room[4]

Syrian National Army
 Turkey (from 3 February)

Ajnad al-Kavkaz[6]
Rouse the Believers Operations Room[7]
Turkistan Islamic Party[8]
Commanders and leaders
Maj. Gen. Suheil al-Hassan[24][25]
(25th Special Forces commander)
Maj. Gen. Maher al-Assad[25]
(4th Division commander)
Brig. Gen. Burhan Rahmun †
(commander of 124 Brigade of Republican Guard)[26]
Brig. Gen. Ismael Ali †[27]
Col. Mazar Farwati †[27]
Col. Basil Ali Khaddour †
(commander of 6th regiment of 25th Special Forces)[28]
Juma al Ahmad †[29]
(Baqir Brigade commander)
Asghar Pashapour †[8]
(IRGC senior commander; Iranian-backed militias overseer)
Jaafar al Sadiq †[2][29]
(Hezbollah commander)

Abu Mohammad al-Julani[29]
(Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader)
Abu Ubeidah al-Kansafra †
(Hayat Tahrir al-Sham commander)[30][better source needed]
Obada Abu Jafar  †
(Ansar al-Tawhid commander)
Maj. Gen. Salim Idris[31]
(Syrian Interim Government Defense Minister; Syrian National Army Chief of Staff)
Brig. Gen. Adnan al-Ahmad[31]
(Syrian National Army Deputy Chief of Staff)
Thaer Maarouf[32]
(First Legion leader)
Gen. Ahmad Rahhal
(SAA defector)[33]
Captain Mustafa Kuja[32]
(Northern Command commander)
Ali Jaber Pasha (Leader of Ahrar al-Sham)[34]
Col. Mustafa Bakour (Leader of Jaysh al-Izza)[35][36]

Hulusi Akar[37]
(Turkish Minister of Defense)
Lt. Gen Sinan Yayla[38]
(2nd Army commander)
Units involved

 Syria

 Russia

 Iran

 Hezbollah

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

Syrian National Army

Turkish Armed Forces

Rouse the Believers Operations Room

Malhama Tactical[49][6]
Strength
Unknown 12,000–20,000[48]
22,000–50,000 (total, not all involved)[48]
8,350[55]–20,000[56]
3,500–5,000[48]
Casualties and losses
1,449 killed[57]
2 SyAAF Mi-17s shot down[58][59][60]
2 SyAAF SU-24s shot down[61]
1 SyAAF L-39 shot down[62]
21 killed[63]
15 killed[29][64]
8 killed[65][66]
5 killed[67][68]		 1,496 killed[57]
59–73 killed (58-72 soldiers, 1 contractor)[69][note 1]
5–12 TAF combat drones shot down[70][71]
370+ civilians killed (per UN; by February)[72]
470+ civilians killed (per SOHR)[73]
980,000+ civilians displaced from Idlib and Aleppo[74][75]

The 2019–2020 northwestern Syria offensive, codenamed "Dawn of Idlib 2,"[11] was a military operation launched by the armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and other allied militias against Syrian opposition and allied fighters of the Syrian National Army, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Rouse the Believers Operations Room, the Turkistan Islamic Party, and other rebel and Salafi jihadist[76] forces in Idlib and surrounding governorates during the Syrian civil war. The offensive began on 19 December 2019 and saw Russian-backed pro-Syrian government forces clash with Turkish-backed opposition groups along with leaving 980,000 civilians displaced.[77][78]

By February 2020, pro-government forces had encircled several Turkish observation posts that had been established throughout Idlib.[79][80] On 27 February, after intermittent deadly clashes between Turkish and Syrian forces, Turkey formally intervened in the offensive and announced the beginning of Operation Spring Shield with the aim of pushing Syrian government forces back to pre-offensive frontlines.[81]

On 5 March 2020, a meeting took place between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in which they agreed on a ceasefire beginning on 6 March that established a six-kilometer secure corridor along the M4 Highway. The ceasefire also called for joint Turkish–Russian patrols along the highway beginning on 15 March.[82]

Background

Main articles: Idlib demilitarization (2018–2019) and Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019)

Following Syrian government victories in 2018 during the siege of Eastern Ghouta, the Southern Damascus offensive, and the completion of rebel evacuations from eastern Qalamoun—which partially concluded the government's Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign—parts of northwestern Syria in the Idlib and Aleppo Governorates became the only significant opposition-controlled territory. Fighters of the Syrian National Army loyal to the Syrian Interim Government (concentrated in Aleppo) and some 20,000 fighters aligned with the internationally-proscribed terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and loyal to the Syrian Salvation Government (concentrated in Idlib) held out against Bashar al-Assad's government and its allies, with a civilian population of three million living in the area.[83][84]

According to a Reuters analysis, the January 2019 takeover of Idlib by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ended any realistic prospect of fulfilling the requirements of the 2018 Turko-Russian Agreement, which called for the disarming of the jihadist faction and reopening of the strategic M4 and M5 highways.[85] The offensive that began in December 2019 was aimed at reopening the highways to civilian traffic, as well as the final elimination of rebel control over the territory.[83][86]

Prelude

On 20 November 2019, Qah was struck by a ground-to-ground missile from the Syrian government with Russian and Iranian support.[87] It killed at least 16 people.[88] The United States strongly condemned the attack.[89]

On 24 November 2019, pro-Syrian government forces, supported by Russian airstrikes, entered the villages of Umm Elkhalayel, Zarzur, al-Sayeer and Msheirfeh, causing dozens of casualties on both sides.[90][91] The next day, a second advance was attempted by government forces targeting the village of al-Farjah, which Syrian state media reported as being under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).[92][better source needed]

On 26 November, opposition media reported that the rebel Al-Fatah al-Mubin Operations Room repelled another attempted government advance on the Sahel village in Idlib's southeastern countryside.[93]

On 28 November, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham announced repelling a joint Iranian militia-Syrian advance on Kabani in northeastern Latakia Governorate, with pro-government forces withdrawing after hours of clashes. Russian warplanes were also reportedly seen during the assault, according to opposition sources.[94]

On 30 November, HTS and other rebel groups reportedly captured several villages near the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase, according to pro-government sources.[95]

On 1 December, according to government sources,[which?] HTS, the Turkish-backed National Front for Liberation (NFL), Ajnad al-Kavkaz, and Ansar al-Tawhid attacked government-controlled villages, with fierce clashes occurring in the towns of Establat and Rassem Wared in which two tanks and five transport vehicles were reportedly destroyed; during the rebel advance, the Syrian military said it destroyed two SVBIEDs (suicide car bombs) near the town of Kafriya. The joint rebel offensive was ultimately repelled.[96]

On 4 December, clashes occurred[97] as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) seized a military base east of Umm al-Tinah village.[98][better source needed]

On 9 December, pro-government sources reported that the military bombarded rebel-held areas in the southern Idlib countryside, as well as portions of the western Aleppo countryside and parts of Aleppo city's outskirts.[99]

The offensive

Pro-government airstrikes in the region began to intensify on 15 December 2019.[100] Meanwhile, on 17 December, Russian intelligence reported that 300 fighters from the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) arrived in Idlib from Afrin in preparation for renewed fighting.[101]

Following the air bombing campaign and after the 14th round of negotiations in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan ended a few days prior without any definitive ceasefire agreement, ground fighting resumed on 18 December, reportedly due to the opposition's refusal to accept new Russian terms regarding control of Idlib.[102] As many as 200 Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Guardians of Religion Organization fighters jointly attacked Syrian government forces in the Umm al Khalakhil and Zarzur fronts. The Syrian military said they had repelled all attacks and that 12 pro-government fighters were injured and hospitalized.

Opening advances

On 19 December, pro-government media reported that the Syrian government had initiated the "second phase" of Operation Dawn of Idlib, the prior government offensive in summer 2019, with pro-government forces led by the 25th Special Mission Forces Division (formerly known as the Tiger Forces) attacking several villages in southeastern Idlib Governorate, particularly along the Umm Jalal axis. A Syrian military source said the objective of the operation was to capture territory south of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, a key rebel stronghold on the M5 highway.[103][104] There were Russian airstrikes on Tal Mardikh in the eastern Idlib countryside and the village of Marshamarin in southern Idlib, and government helicopter barrel bomb attacks on Jarjnaz and al-Ghadfah, as well as bombing of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man.[105] 80 people were reported killed on both sides on 20–21 December, including in heavy air strikes on Ma'arrat al-Nu'man and Saraqib.[106] Russia reported that 17 Syrian soldiers were killed.[28]

On 21 December, according to pro-government sources, several pro-government fighters were killed in an ambush by the National Front for Liberation (NFL) in Latakia, with several light weapons also captured.[107] Meanwhile, HTS claimed a suicide attack in the village of al-Furqa, southeast of Idlib, which reportedly killed 30 Syrian government fighters.[28]

By 22 December, government forces spearheaded by the 5th Corps and the 25th Special Mission Forces Division had made notable advances in the southeastern Idlib countryside, battling rebel units in the area and reportedly capturing over 15 towns and villages within a 48-hour period. According to front line reports, the SAA death toll had risen to 40, with over 50 wounded. An SAA source said the rebels had suffered 70–80 dead.[108] During its advance, the Syrian army began encircling the Turkish observation point near Sarman.[109] Government sources reported the death of Colonel Basil Ali Khaddour, the commander of the sixth regiment of the 25th Special Mission Forces Division, while opposition media reported several of the Division's members killed.[28]

On 23 December, the Syrian army advanced further, completely surrounding the Turkish observation point near Sarman[110] and capturing Jarjnaz, considered the largest town in the eastern countryside of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man.[111][112]

On 24 December, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other opposition elements launched a morning counterattack to retake Jarjnaz, recapturing the villages of Tell Mannas, al-Barsah, Farwan, and al-Ghadfah in the process, according to SOHR; an SVBIED was deployed and attacked pro-government forces in Jarjnaz.[113] By 24 December, 30,000 people had fled from the areas around Ma'arrat al-Nu'man while airstrikes on the M5 highway reportedly targeted civilians fleeing north from the front lines.[114] Pro-government media reported that HTS withdrew from its defensive positions in and around Ma’arat Al-Nu’man as well as other defensive positions in the southern Idlib countryside, handing control over to Ansar al-Tawhid, part of the Rouse the Believers Operations Room.[115] The Deputy Defense Minister of the Syrian Interim Government said that HTS had blocked reinforcements sent by the SNA from areas in northern Aleppo such as Afrin and further alleged that the only SNA factions allowed into Idlib by HTS were the Levant Front, Ahrar al-Sharqiya and the Lions of the East Army. HTS denied the claims.[50]

On 25 December, the Russian Air Force reportedly bombed a military convoy of Ahrar al-Sham moving near the town of Kafr Nabl in southern Idlib, killing an unknown number of its field commanders and militants.[citation needed]

On 26 December, ground advancements largely halted and both sides began shelling each other's positions around Ma'arrat Al-Nu’man, with casualties reported on both sides. Pro-government forces began shelling the rebel-held towns of Bernan, Farwan, Barissa, and Halban.[116] Both government and opposition factions later reported that they paused their field operations in the Idlib region due to poor weather conditions. According to a Syrian army source, the air force was temporarily grounded because of limited visibility.[117] The NFL reportedly planned to launch a counterattack, but it was also called off due to poor weather conditions. Instead, they brought reinforcements to their positions.[118]

By the end of the month, hundreds of SNA fighters (two brigades) were transferred to Idlib as a result of an agreement with HTS, which had previously blocked the entry of SNA combatants.[119]

The government offensive was condemned by world leaders, including United States president Donald Trump, who tweeted that "Russia, Syria, and Iran are killing, or on their way to killing, thousands of innocent civilians in Idlib province."[103] By this stage, United Nations agencies were reporting that "mass evacuations" of pro-opposition families from front line areas "have left behind a landscape of ghost towns".[103]

Russia–Turkey ceasefire

According to a Russian major-general, a ceasefire was agreed with Turkey, which supported many of the rebel factions in the area, between late December 2019 and early January 2020; the ceasefire was introduced in the Idlib de-escalation zone on 9 January 2020. Turkey had sent a delegation to Moscow to establish a new ceasefire in the region.[120] Turkey's defense ministry announced that the ceasefire would take effect on 12 January and said that Syrian and Russian land and air attacks would halt at one minute past midnight.[121] The ceasefire was set to stem the flow of refugees from Idlib and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region.[122]

On 11 January 2020, a day before the brokered ceasefire went into effect, Ansar al-Tawhid released a video of a mechanized attack against government positions in southeastern Idlib using heavy machine guns previously captured from the Syrian army. The group also reportedly ambushed a vehicle carrying government officers and successfully captured a position from government forces, seizing some small arms in the process.[7]

Post-ceasefire advances

Late on 15 January, post-ceasefire, the Syrian Arab Army and its allies resumed offensive actions in southern Idlib in response to a prior series of apparent ceasefire violations by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other militant groups. The Syrian Army captured the villages of Barsah and Nouhiya, located west of the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase.[citation needed]

On 16 January, the Syrian army captured three towns in southeast Idlib after troops stormed the towns of Talkhatra, Abu Jurayf and Khirbat Dawud in the morning. The three towns were secured following several hours of clashes that killed 22 militants, including 16 jihadists, according to SOHR. HTS and its allies claimed to recapture Abu Jurayf in a counterattack that killed more than ten Syrian troops, due to the SAA failing to secure the town after initially storming it. On 17 January, the rebels captured Tal Musaytif from government forces, according to SOHR.[123]

Russia's defense ministry stated that a major clash had occurred on the evening of 22 January between Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) forces—backed by 20 cars, tanks and two armored vehicles—and Syrian government forces. The ministry and Syrian state media added that the militants also used attack drones and car bombs and that the assault pushed the SAA out of two settlements in Idlib. The clashes reportedly left up to 50 fighters killed and 90 wounded while government forces lost 40 dead and 80 wounded. An NFL spokesman said the assault had taken place earlier in the week. A Syrian military source was cited as saying army units were redeployed to the area and eventually repelled the attacks "with high efficiency".[124] However, a "field source" in Hama quoted by pro-government media said he was not aware of any significant attack near the front lines and that rebels were mostly using artillery and rockets to strike the SAA's positions in the de-escalation zone.[125] On the same day the Rouse the Believers Operations Room released photos of captured equipment and also released a photo of a pro-government fighter's German identification card. The coalition also released video footage of mortar attacks against the government.[7]

Capture of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man

After a short lull, and after the Russia-Turkey ceasefire failed to materialize, the Syrian Arab Army renewed its ground offensive towards Ma'arrat al-Nu'man on 24 January, assisted by massive airstrikes. Ma'arrat al-Nu'man was of both strategic and symbolic importance due to its location on the strategic Aleppo-Damascus highway/motorway (M5)—one of Syria's economic arteries—and that it was a major center for anti-government protests against Assad's rule since the civil war began in 2011.[126]

Led by the 4th Armored Division, the Syrian army also launched new ground operations on the Aleppo axis on 25 January, opening with a massive artillery barrage on rebel defenses in the western Aleppo outskirts, spanning from the Al-Zahra'a Association Quarter to Rashiddeen 3 and 4 suburbs. The 4th Division conducted an armored assault on rebel defense lines near the Great Prophet Mosque, the local scientific research building, and Rashidden 3 suburb, but did not make any significant gains.[127]

Between 24 and 26 January, the Syrian army captured eight towns and villages in the Ma'arrat al-Nu'man countryside, including Tell Mannas, Ghadqa, and Maar Shamshah, and captured a section of the M5 highway north of the stronghold, cutting a major rebel communication and supply line from Idlib. According to SOHR, by 26 January, Russia had conducted 78 airstrikes targeting front lines around Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, south of Aleppo, and in the western countryside while Syrian helicopters reportedly deployed 52 barrel bombs in rural areas.[128] According to opposition activists and paramedics, Ma'arrat al-Nu'man was almost empty of its 110,000 civilian residents as a result of the intense government bombardment in prior weeks which displaced hundreds of thousands, many of which fled north towards the border with Turkey. By the end of 26 January, the SAA was less than a kilometer from the city.[129]

On 27 January, heavy clashes continued as government forces reached the eastern, northern and southern outskirts of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, nearly encircling it. The 25th Special Mission Forces Division reportedly overran rebel defenses on the city's southern flank, capturing several towns and villages, including Sahyan, Kafr Basin, and Muqah, and capturing the majority of the M5 highway located south of the metro, except for the Turkish observation post at Maar Hattat. According to SOHR, pro-government forces were besieging Ma'arrat al-Nu'man from three sides and had captured 22 areas since 24 January; SOHR recorded 91 deaths among pro-government forces and 112 among the rebels, including 89 jihadists, since 24 January.[130][131][132] On the Aleppo front, there were reports in pro-government media of an ongoing battle near Khan Tuman between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian army, assisted by the National Defence Forces (NDF). The army attempted to capture the village after they seized several hills to its northeast.[44]

The Syrian Armed Forces' official statement on the capture of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man

On 28 January, the Syrian Arab Army and allies captured Kafr Rumah and the Wadi Deif military base following token rebel resistance. Pro-government forces subsequently stormed Ma'arrat al-Nu'man from three fronts, entering the city and capturing most of its districts after short clashes, according to Syrian state media. A Syrian military source said HTS and allied rebels mostly withdrew from the stronghold the day before, neglecting to defend the city proper, besides a small garrison. It was the first time Syrian government forces had control of the city since losing it on 10 October 2012. Rebel units subsequently counterattacked pro-government forces in the vicinity of the stronghold. SOHR said that at least 147 pro-government fighters and 151 opposition fighters were killed in the battle.[133][126][134][135]

The SAA continued to push west of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, reportedly capturing Hantutin.[136] Meanwhile, the SAA reported it had reached the outskirts of Khan Tuman after capturing the last hills to its east during repeated assaults spearheaded by the Republican Guard's 30th Division.[137]

On 29 January, following the latest army advances, the SOHR reported that 57% of the Idlib Governorate remained under rebel control, while the other 43% was controlled by government forces. It stated that the Syrian Army had managed to capture over 40 kilometers of the M5 highway and only a 25-kilometer stretch held by rebel forces was preventing it from controlling the highway in its entirety. It also reported a government advance on the outskirts of Aleppo, but stated that it did not hold strategic significance.[138] Al-Masdar News reported that the Syrian Army had secured Ma'arrat al-Nu'man's flanks and further captured the town of al-Harradah.[139] An armed rebel group reportedly stormed Idlib Central Hospital, occupying it for military purposes for a few hours while Al-Shami Hospital in Ariha was reportedly struck by multiple airstrikes.[140]

Government forces also advanced towards Aleppo's western suburbs to push rebels away from the city.[126] The army reported a breakthrough in the Rashideen 5 suburb of Aleppo and advanced toward Rashideen 4, stating this advance was the first major SAA breakthrough on the previously deadlocked Aleppo front.[141]

A number of Hezbollah fighters were reported killed in this stage of the offensive. On 24 January, Jaafar al Sadiq, a Hezbollah commander, was reported killed; on 27 January, three more fighters' deaths in the Aleppo countryside were announced; a fifth Hezbollah death, in al-Zahraa, was subsequently announced.[142]

Army advance towards Saraqib and proposed Turkish deadline

On 30 January, the Syrian army reached the outskirts of the opposition stronghold of Saraqib, north of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, after capturing the towns of Kafr Battikh, Tell Mardikh, Jobas, Qomhane, Hatamiyeh and Tell Dibs, pushing the front line to just three kilometers away from Saraqib's city center.[citation needed] Later in the day, the army advanced further in the southeastern Idlib countryside, capturing the al-Suater hilltop from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies. Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to take direct military action in Idlib unless the government-led offensive ceased.[143] On the Aleppo front, HTS detonated a remote control car bomb and deployed SVBIEDs followed by rocket and mortar attacks into the northwestern Aleppo outskirts against Syrian government positions, opening a new front. The HTS-linked Ebaa News Agency released footage of HTS inghimasi fighters pledging to wage jihad until death before deploying for Aleppo to attack pro-government positions. Syrian state media claimed government forces destroyed four SVBIEDs before they reached their destination. HTS also claimed to have killed a number of Iranian-linked militia fighters in west Aleppo.[143] Meanwhile, according to pro-government sources, the remnant Nour al-Din al-Zenki rebel group, operating from Turkish-backed opposition-held areas in northern Aleppo, sent reinforcements to the western Aleppo countryside to help bolster area defenses.[144]

29-31 January saw sustained bombardments as the government and its allies carried out 200 strikes throughout Idlib; Russian airstrikes on Ariha reportedly struck a bakery and a medical facility. Civilians displaced from Saraqib and other towns were also reportedly targeted as they fled the war zone.[145][146]

On 1 February, in response to government gains on the ground, the Turkish military established three new observation posts around Saraqib.[147] On the same day, pro-government warplanes reportedly targeted al-Huda Hospital in the town of Hoor in the western countryside of Aleppo, destroying large parts of the building.[148] There was an HTS counter-offensive in Al-Zahraa in Aleppo governorate, in which several Local Defense Force (LDF) pro-government militia fighters were reported killed.[142] Four Russian FSB officers were reported killed the same day, also in the Aleppo countryside.[149]

On 2 February, fighting was reported between HTS and the LDF-affiliated Iranian-backed Baqir Brigade in the Aleppo countryside, in which a Brigade commander, Juma al Ahmad, was reported killed.[142] An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander, Asghar Pashapour, was killed the same day in the Aleppo countryside.[150][142][151][152]

On 3 February, Syrian and Turkish forces exchanged fire in Idlib, Latakia and the northern Aleppo countryside. Turkey and the SOHR reported seven Turkish soldiers, one civilian contractor, and 13 Syrian soldiers were killed.[153][154][155] Turkey said it had carried out retaliation strikes south of Saraqib, and witnesses reported artillery shelling and one F16 entering Syrian airspace. According to SOHR, at least 13 Syrian soldiers were killed (with other monitors giving similar numbers), while according to the Turkish president 30-35 were killed and according to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar 76 Syrian soldiers were "neutralized" and 57 Syrian military sites were bombed. Russia denied that any airstrikes had occurred at all[156][157][158] and the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria and Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) denied Turkish claims of casualties among Syrian troops.[159][160] Turkey's president Erdogan described the attack on Turkish forces a "turning point in Syria for Turkey". He gave the Syrian government a deadline of the end of February to withdraw from the de-escalation zone and demanded that Russian forces in Idlib "stand aside"; he nevertheless dismissed the possibility of direct conflict with Russia saying Turkey and Russia would talk about the issue "without anger".[161][162]

Despite the Turkish operations, Syrian government forces continued its offensive in the southeastern part of Idlib Governorate and captured the villages of Ballisa, Tell Elaghar, an abandoned Air Defense base, Jadida Tal Khatra, Msheirfeh, Mardikh and Tell Mardikh on the same day.[163][better source needed] With this advance, the Syrian Army had captured 22 villages and towns including 110 square kilometers of territory.[citation needed] On the same day, according to medics and the SOHR, government airstrikes targeted civilian IDPs on the road near the village of Kafr Naya in the Aleppo countryside.[153] The next day, Russian warplanes reportedly struck the Sarmin Health Center, leading to the almost complete destruction of the building.[148]

Siege and capture of Saraqib

On 5 February, government forces captured around 20 settlements, including Resafah and several nearby villages, advancing east and north of Saraqib, isolating it from three directions.[164][165]

On 6 February, a pro-government blog reported that pro-government forces seized the area of Duwayr, cutting off the M5 highway north of Saraqib and leaving only the road through Sarmin open, which itself was under constant fire from the army.[citation needed] Later in the day, the 25th Special Mission Forces Division captured the town of Afs,[citation needed] fully encircling Saraqib and all rebel and Turkish forces stationed there, including the four recently established Turkish observation posts, and entered the city.[166] By 7 February, after two days of siege, government forces took most of the city, opening the road towards the city of Idlib.[167] Enab Baladi reported that seven Turkish soldiers were killed while Turkey repeated its end-of-February deadline for the Syrian government to withdraw from the de-escalation zone.[166]

Meanwhile, prominent rebel commander Obada Abu Jafar and eight other militants of an elite Ansar al-Tawhid unit were killed in fierce clashes with the Syrian Army while defending their positions in southern Idlib, according to a pro-government blog.[citation needed] On the same day, Israeli warplanes fired missiles near Damascus while targeting Iranian elements in the area. The Syrian government said Israel intended to "save the armed terrorist organisations which ha[d] been collapsing in Idlib and western Aleppo Governorate in front of the strikes of the Syrian Army".[168]

Army captures the M5 highway and continued Turkish clashes

On 7 February, the Syrian army, spearheaded by the 25th Special Forces Division and assisted by the Republican Guard and Hezbollah, made further advances, reportedly capturing the towns of Zaytan, Birnah, Makhalah and Huwayyir al-Eis in the southwestern Aleppo countryside and the towns of Maharim, Khawari, Tall al-Nabariz, Ijaz, Rasm al-Ward and Abbad in southeast Idlib.[citation needed] The 25th Special Forces Division also captured the towns of Karrathin, al-Dahiriyah and al-Thuriyah as well as the Ebla University complex on the administrative border between southeast Idlib and southwest Aleppo by the end of the day.[citation needed]

On 8 February, the army reportedly captured several sites along the strategic M5 highway as it advanced north of Saraqib. Government forces also reportedly crossed the M5 highway and entered the southwestern countryside of the Aleppo Governorate, the first time since 2013, from the southern approach.[169] On the northern approach, the army advanced on the town of Al-Eiss, capturing the towns of Maryudah, Tell Bajir, Kusiniya, al-Shiekh Ahmad, Abu Kannseh, Umm Atabah, Rasm al-Eis, Rasm al-Saharij and Jub Kas in the process.[citation needed] According to pro-government activists, Al-Eiss also hosted a Turkish observation post. The army subsequently captured Al-Eiss and the nearby hilltop.[citation needed] Pro-government forces later captured the town of Tell Hadiyah in the area while, on the Idlib front, continued their northern advance along the M5, capturing the town of Talhiyah.[citation needed] Meanwhile, Russian-Turkish talks in Ankara concluded after three hours with no progress made.[170][171]

On 9 February, in Idlib, pro-government sources said the army captured the towns of Buwaybiyah and al-Kusaybiyah as well as the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) research center.[172][better source needed] Army units stormed and captured the towns of Barqum, al-Zarbah and al-Salehiyah along the M5.[citation needed] On the Aleppo front, pro-government forces captured the areas of Tal Kalariyah and Kalariyah and advanced on rebel positions in the Rashideen 4 district in west Aleppo.[173]

On 10 February, Syrian government forces shelled a recently built Turkish observation post at Taftanaz Military Airbase, killing five Turkish soldiers, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry.[174] According to the SOHR and other sources, six Turkish soldiers and four Syrian rebels were killed in the attack.[174][175][170] The attack destroyed military hardware and supplies including trucks, APCs and a main battle tank.[176][177] The Turkish Ministry of Defense said, but did not provide evidence, that 115 Syrian army sites and positions were targeted in retaliation, including destroying three tanks and two mortar positions, and that 101 Syrian soldiers were "neutralized".[178] Meanwhile, the Syrian army moved west from the M5 highway towards the Turkish border, led by the 25th Special Mission Forces Division, captured the towns of Kafr Halab, Meznaz, and another town from HTS and the NFL northeast of the ICARDA center, according to pro-government media,[179] in an attempt to split the northern and southern parts of Idlib into separate pockets.[170] On the night of 10–11 February, there were pro-government airstrikes on several towns in Idlib and Aleppo, killing at least 13 civilians[180] while a maternity hospital in Atarib was narrowly missed by government bombs and a health facility in Maret al-Nasan was destroyed in shelling,[181] according to NGOs.[182] An IDP camp in Kafr Aruq was also struck, killing a child, according to the United Nations.[183]

On 11 February, after asserting control over the Rashideen 4 district in western Aleppo and virtually converging the northern and southern front lines in the countryside,[184] it was widely reported that government forces controlled the entirety of the M5 highway for the first time since 2012; however, this was not claimed by government media and opposition sources said fighting continued in some northern areas.[185][186][180] A report on a Russian TV channel showed 25th Special Mission Forces Division troops, apparently wearing UNICEF backpacks distributed as relief supplies, entering Kafr Halab;[187] The Daily Telegraph reported the troops were deliberately shooting elderly civilians there.[188] On the same day, rebel groups launched a counteroffensive on the town of Nayrab, located west of Saraqib and south of Sarmin. Turkey claimed that 51 government fighters were killed in the rebel counteroffensive, and Turkish-backed rebel forces shot down a Syrian Mil Mi-17 helicopter, killing all on board.[180][58] Rebels were also reported to retake the town of Sheikh Dames, 20 miles south of Idlib city.[189] Later that day, the SAA captured Khan al-Asal, a key location on the M5 highway.[190][191] That night, the NGO Action on Armed Violence reported that airstrikes on Idlib city left 12 civilians (half of them children) dead and 32 injured;[192] government airstrikes on Darat Izza narrowly missed a hospital according to another NGO.[182] By this point, according to Reuters, the government had taken 600 square kilometers (230 square miles) of territory in the offensive, and 700,000 people, mostly women and children, had been displaced—the largest number in a single period since fighting began in 2012 according to the UN—while 200 had been killed.[180][193][194][195][196]

On 12 February, Turkey's president Erdogan announced: "I hereby declare that we will strike regime forces everywhere from now on regardless of the [2018] deal if any tiny bit of harm is dealt to our soldiers at observation posts or elsewhere."[197] By this stage, Turkey had stationed 30,000 troops at the Syrian border, and sent 5,000 reinforcements to Idlib, bringing the total to 9,000, as well as establishing new defensive positions around Idlib city.[171][170]

On 13 February, heavy bombardment and ground clashes forced the World Food Programme to pause their on-going relief efforts in Idlib, with Atareb especially severely affected.[198] The town of Takad was shelled by government forces for the first of many times, causing residents to flee, according to MSF.[199] The SAA, alongside the auxiliary Local Defense Forces and Liwa al-Quds, advanced north of Az Zarbah and captured Rif Muhandiseen and Kafr Jum along with several surrounding tactical points on the approach to the strategic Regiment 46 base, also known as Base 46, which fell to rebel forces in November 2012. Another army unit reportedly made a push on a separate axis in Aleppo.[200][201][202]

On 14 February, a second Syrian Mil Mi-17 helicopter was shot down with a guided missile near Qubtan al-Jabal, killing its crew. According to an activist, the helicopter was shot down after dropping two barrel bombs.[59] Between 14–15 February, pro-government shelling struck IDP camps located around the town of Sarmada, according to the UN and MSF.[199][183] During 13–16 February, the UN reported that 160,000 people fled from advancing front lines, mostly from Atareb and Darat Izza sub-districts.[183] The UN said a total of 100 civilians had been killed in the first two weeks of February by both air and ground-based strikes.[183]

Western Aleppo assault and rebel retreat

Following the complete capture of the strategic M5 highway, the Syrian army shifted its momentum towards securing Greater Aleppo, particularly the city's western outskirts.[203] Among opposition settlements targeted by airstrikes in this period were Turmanin, al-Dana, Kabtan al Jabal, al-Abzimo and Darat Izza.[204]

On 15 February, the army attacked opposition forces in the northern Aleppo countryside in Sheikh Aqil near Darat Izza from Bashmara, territory under joint Rojava and SAA control.[205]

On 16 February, pro-government forces achieved a major breakthrough on the Aleppo front by capturing more than 30 villages, towns and suburbs in the west Aleppo countryside in a single day amidst a sudden collapse in rebel defense lines.[206] By the evening, government forces, backed by continued Russian airstrikes, had managed to capture the last remaining rebel-held areas in Aleppo's western periphery, including towns and cities such as Haritan and Anadan, effectively concluding the period of intermittent clashes in the area that began with the Battle of Aleppo over seven years prior.[207] Pro-government media reported that after having many of their supply lines cut off, rebel forces fled west to avoid being encircled by the SAA, thus leaving the army in control of the Greater Aleppo area.[208] Meanwhile, Turkish media reported that a 100-vehicle convoy of reinforcements, including troops, tanks and other military vehicles and equipment, had been deployed to the Idlib area.[209] HTS claimed a suicide attack on Russian positions in Kafr Halab.[207]

On 17 February, President Bashar al-Assad addressed the nation in a rare televised speech, saying the military operations in Aleppo and Idlib governorates would continue regardless of Turkey's threats, and that the war was not yet over "but it means that we rubbed their noses in the dirt as a prelude for complete victory".[210][211] Syrian state media also shared images of Aleppo residents apparently celebrating the recent advances, which reportedly pushed rebel mortar teams out of adequate firing range of the city for the first time in years and, along with the capture of the M5, was set to facilitate future civilian movement between northern and southern Syria up to pre-war levels.[212] Meanwhile, according to NGOs, government forces bombed hospitals in Darat Izza.[182][213][214][199]

 
Frontline advances, 24 January–19 February 2020

On 19 February, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that a Turkish intervention in Idlib was just "a matter of time".[215] Meanwhile, pro-opposition NGO Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported a Syrian government airstrike on an IDP camp near Deir Hassan.[216]

Rebel counteroffensive towards Saraqib begins

On 20 February, Turkish-backed rebels launched another counteroffensive on Nayrab with Turkish artillery support.[217] Turkish commandos were also reported to have been operating alongside rebels in the assault on the town.[218] Russian planes provided air support to the pro-government forces and struck positions of the advancing rebels.[citation needed] Shelling on nearby towns on both the government-controlled and opposition-controlled sides of the frontline were reported, with both Russian and Turkish forces involved in air and artillery support roles respectively.[219] During the battle, rebel fighters attempted to shoot down a Russian Su-24 using MANPADS while also claiming to have downed two Russian UAVs with MANPADS.[220][221][222] After heavy fighting,[219] the rebels managed to briefly seize Nayrab. However, Russian air support allowed pro-government forces to eventually repel rebel ground elements and recapture the town.[223][224]

Russian news agency RIA Novosti said that the Russian Ministry of Defence contacted Turkish forces and asked them to end artillery support to the rebels and that they did so.[225] The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that two Turkish soldiers had been killed and five wounded due to an airstrike during the assault,[226] while also claiming the Turkish-backed rebels killed 50 Syrian government forces during the overall battle for the town.[227] The Russian Defence Ministry said Russian elements destroyed one tank, six armored vehicles, and five other vehicles all belonging to the rebels.[228] As well as the two confirmed Turkish deaths,[229] the SOHR said that about 28 rebels and 14 pro-government soldiers were killed and that some captured Syrian soldiers were beheaded by jihadist fighters.[230]

Before the clashes, Turkey reportedly asked the United States to deploy two Patriot surface-to-air missile systems on the Syria–Turkey border to deter Russian forces.[231][232] However, the Russian state news agency reported that the Turkish Ministry of Defence had denied this.[233] Reuters also reported on-going talks between Turkey and Russia about Syrian airspace.[234] The same evening, Syrian government airstrikes were reported by SNHR on Hazarin—striking two schools—and nearby Ma'aret Harma, where a mosque was struck.[235][236]

On 22 February, Turkey reported that a Turkish soldier was killed (the sixteenth in the month) in a bomb attack by pro-Syrian government forces, and said it retaliated by destroying 21 government targets. Turkey said it would meet with Russian and European leaders in March to discuss the situation.[229]

Al-Ghab plain-Zawiya mountains assault, rebels recapture Saraqib

The Syrian army and allies continued their main ground advance on 23 February in the Zawiya mountains (Jabal al-Zawiya) and al-Ghab plain region near the southern Idlib-northwestern Hama administrative border. During operations, Syrian artillery reportedly targeted a Turkish Army column near Bara in which several Turkish soldiers and rebel fighters were injured and forced to withdraw.[237]

On 24 February, the Syrian army reported advances in southern Idlib, capturing the towns of al-Naqayar, Araynabiyah, and Sitouh Al-Dayr, south of Kafrsajna, along with nearby Ma'ar Taseen, Jabla and Maar Tamater, as rebels retreated westwards.[238][239] There were reports of 10 Turkish soldiers killed and wounded by Russian and Syrian jet strikes on the Turkish post in Kansafra. According to the SOHR, several Turkish vehicles were destroyed and damaged as well.[240][241] Turkish forces responded with rocket shelling on government positions.[242] Meanwhile, Turkish-backed rebels continued their push towards Saraqib. SOHR and al-Masdar reported that National Front for Liberation and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham forces, backed by the Turkish military, recaptured Nayrab from the SAA after eight hours and three waves of attacks[243][244] while Turkish sources attributed the recapture to NFL, saying that the Iranian-backed militias and government forces defending the town took "many" casualties.[245] SOHR said that 11 government and loyalist militia fighters and 26 rebels were killed, while al-Masdar claimed 150 rebels were killed.[244][243]

On 25 February, pro-government forces captured Kafr Nabl, a symbolically important stronghold for the Syrian opposition,[246] while SOHR reported that the Syrian army also took control of Sheikh Dames and Sheikh Mustafa.[247] In turn, rebel fighters reportedly recaptured the villages of San and Ma'arat Alia west of Saraqib.[248] Syrian and Turkish clashes continued as Syrian warplanes targeted Turkish forces in Taftanaz Military Airbase northeast of Idlib city, with no reports of casualties.[249] A Turkish Anka-S drone was also shot down in Dadekh, east of Idlib;[60] SANA reported the aircraft infiltrated Syrian airspace and was intercepted.[250] SNHR reported 25 civilians killed by government forces and its allies,[251] and 185 civilians were reportedly injured as airstrikes targeted eight schools and two nurseries in rebel-held areas throughout Idlib Governorate while two MSF hospitals in Idlib city and Maarrat Misrin sustained damage.[252][253][254][255]

On 26 February, Syrian government forces were reported to have captured 33 towns and villages in Idlib and Hama in the previous 60 hours, while a SOHR report said that a Turkish military column on the Bara–Kansafra road was targeted by government rockets, leaving a vehicle destroyed.[256] Two Turkish soldiers were killed, according to the Turkish foreign ministry.[257] SNHR reported that government artillery struck a hospital in Idlib city,[258] and that a total of 126 civilians had been killed by Russian and government forces in the 44 days since the end of the ceasefire on 12 January.[259]

While government forces made territorial gains in southern Idlib and northern Hama, opposition factions with support from Turkish elements had counterattacked on a separate front towards Saraqib and, on the dawn of 27 February, fully recaptured the strategic city and cut the Damascus-Aleppo M5 highway once again.[260][261] The counterattack also lifted the encirclement of the four Turkish observation posts established around the city's perimeter.[262] Frontlines continued to shift as the Syrian army's southern Idlib assault continued; pro-government forces captured 20 additional villages in the al-Ghab plain and Zawiya mountain region, establishing control over southern al-Ghab and regaining control of the entirety of Hama Governorate.[263][264]

Operation Spring Shield

Main articles: Operation Spring Shield and 2020 Balyun airstrikes

On 27 February, in a major escalation, at around 5:00 p.m. local, pro-government airstrikes targeted a Turkish mechanized infantry battalion, composed of about 400 soldiers, near a post in Balyun in the Zawiya mountains,[265] leaving at least 34 soldiers killed and others wounded, some seriously.[266][267][268][269] Other Turkish and rebel sources indicated 55 to 70 Turkish soldiers killed,[266][267] with some local reports as high as 100.[270] Several military vehicles were also reported destroyed.[271][272] While sources in Idlib and unverified footage of the strike suggested it had been conducted by the Russian air force, Russia denied responsibility and Turkey's leadership nevertheless held Syrian government forces responsible.[273][274][265][275] Meanwhile, Reuters cited witnesses as saying the government resumed airstrikes on residential areas of Idlib city the same evening.[276]

On 28 February, Turkey said it retaliated for the Balyun strikes by striking 200 Syrian government targets and "neutralizing" 309 soldiers in a dedicated operation throughout Greater Idlib.[271] Turkish drone and artillery strikes on Syrian army positions in the east and south of the governorate were reported to have targeted helicopters, tanks, armoured vehicles, howitzers, ammunition trucks and ammunition depots.[277] In contrast to Turkish numbers, the SOHR reported that 34 Syrian soldiers and 14 Hezbollah fighters (10 Lebanese nationals and four of other nationalities, including at least one Iranian) and an officer of the IRGC were killed by the Turkish counterattack. Hezbollah later confirmed eight of the deaths, including an Iranian cleric identified as Sayyed Ali Zengani, while pro-government media also reported Hezbollah deaths.[278][279][280][281][282][283] Iranian media also reported the deaths of 21 members of Liwa Fatemiyoun and Liwa Zainebiyoun brigades—Afghan and Pakistani Shiite forces supported by Iran—in the Turkish operation.[284] Turkish forces also bombed defense and scientific research laboratories in the as-Safira area of the eastern Aleppo countryside with SAMs[285] and claimed to have targeted the Kuweires and Abu al-Duhur military airbases in Aleppo Governorate.[286] Russian media reported Turkish ground troops using MANPADS while attempting to shoot down Russian and Syrian warplanes.[287][276] Overnight retaliatory Syrian government attacks killed a Turkish soldier and injured six more.[288]

Amid the sudden escalation, the United States expressed support for Turkey and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told media following the North Atlantic Council meeting—requested by Turkey to hold consultations under Article 4 of NATO's founding Washington Treaty—that NATO continued to support Turkey with a range of measures, "including by augmenting its air defences".[289] Stoltenberg also urged Russia and the Syrian government "to stop the indiscriminate air attacks" and to engage with UN-led peace efforts, while the UN expressed concern at the developments.[271][289] Turkey further escalated regional tensions when it threatened to open its borders with Europe to allow Syrian refugees to leave, prompting Greece and Bulgaria to tighten border security.[290][291] The UN Secretary-General called for an immediate ceasefire and was backed by 13 UN Security Council members, but Russia and China vetoed the measure.[292] Russia stepped up naval and airborne deliveries to Syria, concerned that Turkey might shut the Bosporus to Russian shipping and Turkish airspace to Russian supply flights.[293]

On 29 February, Turkish-backed rebels recaptured several villages in al-Ghab plain, reversing recent government gains.[294] Meanwhile, according to SOHR, the number of Syrian army soldiers killed by the Turkish retaliation in the past 48 hours rose to 74. In addition, at least eight more Hezbollah fighters were killed on 29 February.[279][280][281]

By the end of February, Reuters put the total figure of Turkish soldiers killed at 55.[295]

No-fly zone in Idlib and battle for Saraqib

On 1 March, Turkey's defence minister Hulusi Akar announced the continuation of Operation Spring Shield, which was launched on 27 February.[296][297] Turkish F-16Cs shot down two Syrian Su-24M2 jets in the western Idlib countryside;[297][60][298] Syrian state-run media said that both pilots parachuted and survived.[299] On the same day, according to Turkey's state-owned Anadolu Agency, Turkish forces targeted the Nayrab military airport and allegedly rendered it unusable.[300] With increased Turkish operations, front line ground momentum in the southern Idlib countryside shifted in favor of the Syrian opposition. Pro-government media reported that rebel forces supported by Turkish elements retook the town of al-Amiqiyah with the aim of reversing government gains.[301] Pro-opposition sources said Turkish-backed rebels captured a further seven towns on the Zawiya mountain front[302] while Turkish media reported that nine villages were recaptured by the Syrian National Army in the first 24 hours of the new phase of the operation, naming Anqawi, al-Qahira, Al-Manara and Tal Zajran villages in the Hama countryside and Al-Halluba, Qoqfin, Kafr Avid, Sfuhan and Fattara in southern Idlib, destroying at least three SAA tanks and killing at least 46 government soldiers.[303]

Reportedly dozens of Turkish ANKA-S and Bayraktar-TB2 drones attacked government targets, and destroyed[304] several Russian-made air defence systems; and according to Turkey, targets included chemical weapons depots, although SOHR rejected that claim.[305][283][306][60] In response, Syria said it had shot down three Turkish drones.[297] Images on social media showed a Turkish TAI Anka drone shot down by Syrian Air Defenses,[307] and Turkey confirmed one drone was hit.[305] On the same day, Syria said it was closing its northwestern airspace and warned it would target any hostile aircraft.[297][308] The Chief of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria said that the Russian task force in Syria could not guarantee the safety of Turkish aircraft's flights over Syria.[309] Despite this, Turkey claimed to have attacked Nayrab airport, west of Aleppo city, and bombed Kuweires airport, east of Nayrab, "marking a significant expansion of Ankara's targets", according to Reuters.[297][299][310] SOHR reported 19 pro-government fighters were killed in strikes on a military convoy in the Zawiya mountain area and a base near Ma'arrat al-Nu'man.[311] Turkey claimed that 2,212 pro-government combatants had been "neutralized", i.e. killed, wounded or captured, since the resumption of Operation Spring Shield, while SOHR said that 74 Syrian army troops and pro-government fighters had been killed since 27 February; other monitors put the figure at around 150.[297][312][298]

Meanwhile, in Beirut, thousands of mourners attended the burial of five of the Hezbollah fighters killed in Idlib on 28 February[313][314] while pro-government sources reported that Hezbollah was reinforcing Syrian troops on the Saraqib front and was reportedly approaching Nayrab.[315][316][317][298]

On 2 March, opposition factions continued their counterattack in the strategically important al-Ghab-Zawiya mountain front while government forces simultaneously counterattacked on the Saraqib front further north; SOHR and the Syrian government reported that, backed by continued Russian air strikes, the SAA had recaptured parts of Saraqib.[318][319][320] In the late afternoon, Russia's Reconciliation Centre in Syria announced that Russian Military Police had been deployed to Saraqib[321] while the SNA claimed that Russian regular forces and mercenaries were part of the operation in the eastern part of the town.[322] Russia claimed the military police's task was to establish effectively a humanitarian corridor for civilians by securing safe passage of vehicles and civilians traveling along the M4 and M5 highways; this was notable since Russia had reduced its overall activities in Syria (apart from defending its own assets) after Erdogan and Vladimir Putin contacted each other on 28 February.[323] However, opposition sources told Reuters that clashes continued in western parts of the town and the SNA said it had prevented Russian Military Police from entering; SOHR said rebels were trying to regain control while Al Jazeera reported that rebels were in control of the western part of the city while government control was limited to the eastern (industrial) zone.[324][325][326][327]

The same day, SOHR and Al-Masdar reported that the Syrian Army launched a counterattack against the rebel advance in southern Idlib, recapturing the town of Hazarin and several other locations in the Zawiya mountains, which overlooks the M4 highway,[328][329] but Turkish sources said the towns were captured by the SNA from government troops and Iranian-backed militias and that fighting continued in Saraqib.[330][331] Heavy fighting involving the SNA and pro-government forces was also reported in Kafr Nabl.[323][326][322] Turkish sources reported that three more villages were retaken by the opposition in Idlib, making a total of 12 in the Turkish-backed offensive.[332] The SOHR reported fatalities in the ranks of Turkish soldiers as a result of Syrian government shelling on Turkish positions in Sarmin. Ambulances were reported to have been moving towards the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing.[333] A Bulgarian defense blog BulgarianMilitary.com, citing Israeli and Russian online sources, reported that a Turkish rejection of an Iranian demand to cease operations in Syria led to Iranian-backed forces on the front lines launching a ballistic missile at Turkish troops on the country's border, which was destroyed by Turkish air defenses.[334] Turkish forces also asserted that the missile had been intercepted.[335] Meanwhile, the U.S. government continued to express some support for Turkey, saying it would provide ammunition and aid and was examining a request for air defenses.[336][337]

On 3 March, Syrian forces launched artillery strikes on Turkish forces located at Taftanaz airport, killing one Turkish soldier and leaving three wounded, according to the SOHR.[338] A Turkish fighter jet downed a Syrian Aero L-39 Albatros over Idlib; the pilot of the aircraft managed to eject and Syrian Army units immediately began a ground search to rescue him.[73][60] Rebel forces stated that they had found the pilot's dead body,[339] while the Syrian Army later stated that they had recovered the pilot in good health after conducting a CSAR operation 2 kilometers behind rebel lines.[340] In turn, SANA released footage of a crashed Turkish Bayraktar drone[341] that they said had been shot down that day by government forces.[342]

On the ground, the Syrian Army secured Saraqib[343][344] and captured several surrounding villages after pushing back rebel forces supported by Turkish artillery and air power. The previous day's clashes led to the deaths of 75 rebel and 40 pro-government fighters, according to SOHR and Al-Masdar, while Turkish airstrikes on government targets had reduced significantly amidst a further government advance toward the town of Afis.[345][346] Turkish sources, however, reported continued fighting on the M4/M5 intersection near Saraqib.[347] Turkish sources also reported opposition advances in the Zawiya mountains.[347] BulgarianMilitary.com cited pro-government social media reports of a Turkish attack on Syrian Army positions in retaliation for pro-government forces bombing Turkish positions in rebel-held al-Tarnaba and al-Mastumah near Nayrab, west of Saraqib, with over 60 missiles, including OTR-21 Tochka TBMs.[348] According to SOHR, four Turkish soldiers were killed and seven wounded,[349] while BulgarianMilitary.com reported that the attack killed 12 and injured eight Turkish soldiers.[348]

On 4 March, opposition sources reported that Turkish-backed rebels launched a renewed attack on Saraqib and that Turkish drone strikes in support of the operation killed at least nine pro-government fighters.[350][351] In turn, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that two Turkish soldiers were killed and six others were wounded by attacks from Syrian forces.[352][353] Turkish media reported Iran sent reinforcements to front lines: 2,000 members of its proxy militias and IRGC-Quds Force elements to Saraqib and 200 Liwa Fatemiyoun Brigade vehicles to Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, supported by Russian aerial cover.[354] Opposition sources also reported SNA gains in Western Aleppo.[351] Meanwhile, Russia claimed opposition elements injured themselves while attempting to deploy chemical weapons in Saraqib.[355]

On the morning of 5 March, opposition sources and The Independent reported a major Russian airstrike on an IDP camp near Maarrat Misrin, killing at least 15.[356][357][358][359] Opposition sources reported government and Iranian militia artillery strikes on Saraqib, Kafr Nabl, al-Futayra and Kafr Oweid and Russian air raids on villages in the Zawiya mountains; the sources also reported that NFL fighters inflicted casualties on pro-government fighters in southern Idlib and western Hama.[360] The Turkish military updated its figures for Syrian Army losses due to Turkish operations to 3,138 soldiers and militia killed, plus the following materiel losses: 3 fighter jets, 8 helicopters, 3 UAVs, 151 tanks, 47 howitzers, 52 launchers, 12 antitank weapons, 4 mortars, 10 arsenal depots and 145 military, technical and combat vehicles.[361] By 8 March, Lost Armor's database had posted images of 65 destroyed armored vehicles belonging to the SAA since 14 January 2019. These included 17 self-propelled guns, 15 infantry fighting vehicles, 13 main battle tanks, 2 armored reconnaissance vehicles, 1 MRAP, and 17 others. In turn Turkish losses included 3 M60 main battle tanks and 2 APCs destroyed, rebels lost 4 main battle tanks, 7 IFVs, 3 APCs and 1 self-propelled gun.[362]

Second Russia–Turkey ceasefire

On 5 March 2020, the presidents of Turkey and Russia, Erdoğan and Putin, met in Moscow for high-level talks.[363] According to the statements made by the Turkish and Russian leaders following their one-on-one meeting, a ceasefire in the area of Idlib was to come into force from 00:00 hrs on 6 March.[82] The terms of the ceasefire included a secure corridor 6 kilometers either side of the M4 highway, to be patrolled jointly by Russia and Turkey beginning on 15 March.[364][365]

There were reports of Russian and Syrian bombardments continuing after the ceasefire came into effect, with activists noting artillery shelling from the government military camp at Jurin targeting Al-Ziyarah, from Ma'arrat al-Nu'man targeting Bara, and from Saraqib targeting Sarmin. Turkish media reported a total of 15 violations in the first day. However, the next day the ceasefire was reported to have largely held, apart from engagements between Syrian government forces and non-Turkish-backed rebel jihadists taking place in the Zawiya mountain area which left nine fighters of the Turkistan Islamic Party and six government troops dead.[364][366][367][368][369] On 7 March, the fragile truce remained largely in force. Turkey said there were no ceasefire violations, although Russia reported several cases of militant gunfire in Idlib, Aleppo and Latakia governorates.[364][370][371]

On 8 March, after heavy shelling in violation of the ceasefire, Syrian Army forces captured the villages of Ma'arat Muqas and al-Burayi, near Kafr Nabl, in an uncontested attack, but later retreated—apparently under pressure from Russia.[372][373][374] Opposition sources reported hundreds of Turkish reinforcements with 100 tanks entering Idlib the same day.[375] Opposition activists reported that the Syrian military shelled the village of al-Mastouma near a Turkish observation point on 9 March.[376] Turkey described this as a "small violation" of the ceasefire.[377]

A Russian military delegation visited Ankara on 10 March to discuss implementation of the security corridor.[377] By 11 March, Turkey was reporting multiple small violations of the ceasefire, and vowed to respond heavily if their military posts in Idlib came under attack.[378]

On 12 March, in an apparent ceasefire violation, SOHR reported that the SAA and allies entered the settlements of Maarrat Mukhas and al-Burayj in southern Idlib without any resistance. Government forces reportedly advanced into the same areas on 7 March before withdrawing due to heavy shelling by opposition factions.[379]

Aftermath and Russian–Turkish joint patrols

Further information: Insurgency in Idlib and 2020 Kafr Takharim airstrike

On 15 March 2020, Turkish and Russian troops began joint patrols on the M4 highway as a part of the ceasefire agreement between Turkey and Russia.[380]

On 18 March, Turkish troops entered the de-escalation zone to reopen the M4 highway previously blocked by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and jihadist factions.[381]

On 19 March, two Turkish soldiers were killed and a third was wounded by an attack carried out by radical groups in Idlib, according to the Turkish Ministry of Defense.[382][383]

On 2 April 2020, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported sporadic clashes in the de-escalation zone and suspended Syrian Government and Russian Air Force activity as part of the ceasefire as it entered the 28th consecutive day.[384]

After a period of calm, the Syrian government and Turkey both sent reinforcements to the area in late May and early June. There were numerous ceasefire violations, and Syrian government ground bombardment recommenced in late May and several Russian airstrikes were conducted on the borders of Hama, Latakia and Idlib provinces on 3 June, reportedly displacing hundreds of people.[385] A Turkish armoured ambulance was struck by unknown belligerents on 5 June.[386] Russian air raids continued on 8 June, targeting Jabal al-Zawiya (Zawiya Mountain), southern Idlib, and towns in Sahl al-Ghab (Al-Ghab Plain), killing two civilians.[387]

See also: Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2020)

Hurras al-Din and other al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadi groups formed an operations room, "Be Steadfast", to co-ordinate their efforts against the government and challenge HTS domination of the area.[388]

Humanitarian consequences

The offensive was characterised by indiscriminate aerial bombing and shelling of civilian homes, mainly either by Russian planes, taking off from the Russian base in Latakia, or by government jets flying from Kuweires Military Aviation Institute, 18 miles east of Aleppo.[204]

On 23 December 2019, the United Nations stated that the renewed fighting that started on 18 December had caused an exodus of 80,000 people across Idlib Governorate.[389] According to SOHR, in the week up to 24 December 100,000 people were displaced because of the fighting as well as Syrian and Russian bombing.[390] More than 235,000 civilians were displaced as of 27 December 2019 per the United Nations.[391] By 5 February 2020, 300 civilians had been killed in the fighting, including 49 in the first five days of February, and 520,000 were displaced (80% of the latter women and children), according to the UN and various NGOs.[164][167] By 10 February 2020, the number of displaced civilians had reached 689,000.[77]

The humanitarian impact of the fighting was made more severe by extreme cold weather, with Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee and the International Organisation on Migration reporting that many children were dying due to sub-zero temperatures.[392][196][393] By 14 February, 10 Canadian aid organisations reported that 142,000 people had fled their homes in the past five days alone, including 6,500 children a day, bringing the total number of people displaced to over 800,000 since December.[394] By 17 February, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that the Northwestern Syria offensive since December has displaced 900,000 people.[395][396][397] By late February, estimates had risen to 950,000.[398][399][400][401] By early March, estimates had risen to 980,000.[74][75]

According to the UN, 82,000 displaced people were living in the freezing open air in February; 36% of newly displaced families are housed by relatives or find rental accommodation, 17% found refuge in camps, over 15% sought shelter in unfinished buildings and 12% are still "looking for shelter".[402] Many of the displaced have been forced to move multiple times.[204] Some of the displaced people have escaped to Syrian Democratic Forces controlled Manbij.[403]

Hospitals have been heavily targeted in the fighting.[404] Some 70 hospitals were bombed out of action.[204][405] On 12 February, Islamic Relief reported that 15 medical facilities it supported had been damaged or fully destroyed, at least 55 sites where they distributed food recorded 428 nearby airstrikes near these locations, and 90% of staff in Idlib had been forcibly displaced.[406]

Schools have also been targeted. On 25 February, Amnesty International condemned the shelling of ten schools in Idlib and Aleppo countryside, describing it as a war crime.[407] After the 25 February attack, all schools in Idlib were suspended.[358] In July, a UN investigation said war crimes and possible crimes against humanity were committed during the campaign. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic said people suffered incomprehensible misery. It recorded assaults by all sides in the conflict that resulted in civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure. It found shelled schools, market bombings, and hospitals bombed.[408]

Reactions

Supranational

  •   United Nations – Spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville, asked if Syria and Russia were deliberately targeting civilians and protected buildings, and said: "The sheer quantity of attacks on hospitals, medical facilities, and schools would suggest they cannot all be accidental."[214] United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said: "Entire families, some who have fled from one corner of Syria to the other over the course of the past decade, are tragically finding that bombs are part of their everyday life. How can anyone justify carrying out such indiscriminate and inhumane attacks?"[409]
  •   European Union – The European Union condemned the offensive in Idlib and warned of a looming humanitarian disaster. The EU also urged all sides to adhere to international law, allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need and vowed to deliver aid to civilians in Idlib.[410]
  •   Arab League – The Arab League called for an immediate armistice in Idlib. The regional organization labeled the offensive a blatant violation of international law causing a humanitarian disaster for Syrians.[411]

National

  •   Italy – On 25 December 2019, Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio, while speaking about his country's desire to establish a ceasefire in Libya's ongoing civil war, said that the situations in Libya and Syria were similar.[412]
  •    House of Representatives - On 2 March 2020, the Syrian government announced that the Libyan Embassy in Damascus could be reopened after 8 years shutdown, the interim government based in Libya's Tobruk signed a memorandum of understanding with Syrian Government officials to re-open its diplomatic missions and confront Turkish "interference".[413][414]
  •   Turkey - On 31 January 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the Syrian government to end its offensive in Idlib, and has threatened military action unless it does so.[143] On 4 March 2020, during a speech by an opposition Parliament member who accused President Erdogan of disrespecting Turkish soldiers who died in Syria and the military intervention, a brawl took place, dozens of parliamentarians traded punches, while others tried to stop the fighting.[415][416]
  •   United Arab Emirates – On the UAE's 48th National Day (2 December 2019), an Emirati official at the UAE embassy in Damascus praised the Syrian government's actions and said that Syria's president Bashar al-Assad was acting wisely.[417]
  •   United States – On 26 December 2019, United States president Donald Trump warned via Twitter that "Russia, Syria, and Iran are killing, or on their way to killing, thousands of innocent civilians in Idlib Province," and added that "Turkey is working hard to stop this carnage."[418] US Ambassador to Syria James Jeffrey has warned that the offensive would create a humanitarian crisis.[143] US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and the Syrian government's actions in Idlib and said that they were intentionally preventing the implementation of a cease-fire in northern Syria.[419][420]
  •   China – China's United Nations Ambassador Zhang Jun said on 28 January 2020 that “terrorism is an underlying factor” in the conflict and "eradicating the forces of terror is a necessary requirement for the restoration of peace and stability in Syria and the region. [Terrorists] should be resolutely crushed, and safe havens established by terrorist forces in Syria should be liquidated. At the same time, counter-terrorism operations should be cautious not to harm civilians."[292]

Local

  •   Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – In response to 19 December offensive, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani said in a video statement that the offensive would negatively affect regional stability and the lives of people throughout the region, namely the Levant, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq and the Persian Gulf. He also said that HTS has achieved many of its goals in Syria, such as weakening the state of the Syrian military and the Syrian economy; he criticized Russia's role in supporting the Syrian government as an attempt to restore the level of influence Russia had during the Soviet-era.[421]

Notes

  1. ^ As can be seen in a photo collection of this article by the Long War Journal, one of pro-government fighters killed during this offensive belonged to the Forces of the Fighters of the Tribes. The militia's emblem can be seen on his photo.
  1. ^ Turkish losses presented do not include early claims of 50–100 dead in the February 2020 Balyun airstrikes.[1][2][4] Instead, they include 34 soldiers killed in the airstrike confirmed by Turkey.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c Joe Truzman (14 February 2020). "IRGC trained militias suffer losses in northwest Syria". Long War Journal. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Funeral Held for Hezbollah Field Commander Killed in Idleb". ZAMAN AL WASL, Syrian Observer. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  3. ^ Haboush, Joseph (2 February 2020). "Three Hizbollah fighters die in Idlib in latest sign of Iran's involvement in Syria". The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Putin and Erdogan meet in Istanbul, amid ongoing battles in Syria's Idlib". 8 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Idlib: The opposition is confusing ... and the "Army of Glory" is entering the battle".
  6. ^ a b Joanna Paraszczuk (4 March 2020). "Small Russian factions continue to play key specialised role in opposition offensives in Syria's Idlib". Jane's. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Caleb Weiss; Joe Truzman (27 January 2020). "'Incite the Believers' continues to fight Assad regime in southern Idlib". Long War Journal. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d "Soleimani aide killed in Syria". Middle East Monitor. 4 February 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  9. ^ Graham-Harrison, Emma; Akoush, Hussein (27 December 2019). "More than 235,000 people have fled Idlib region in Syrmia, says UN". theguardian.com.
  10. ^ "More than 235,000 displaced by latest assault on Syria's Idlib, says UN". France 24. 27 December 2019.
  11. ^ a b Gurcan, Metin (30 December 2019). "Turkish troops in Syria threatened at Idlib outposts". Al-Monitor.
  12. ^ "Syria war: Government will pay 'heavy price' for attacking Turkish troops". BBC News. 11 February 2020.
  13. ^ "Turkey threatens to hit Syrian 'radicals' who do not abide by ceasefire". France 24. 14 February 2020.
  14. ^ Gumrukcu, Tuvan (6 March 2020). "Ceasefire in Syria's Idlib comes at a cost for Turkey's Erdogan". Reuters. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Map: Latest Military Situation in Northwest Syria – IWN". 4 March 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Military escalation in "De-escalation zone" 51 days on: 1,200,000 people displaced…2,640 killed…276 areas fall to regime forces • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 5 March 2020.
  17. ^ "With Cease-Fire in Place, Syrians Return for Belongings, but Not to Stay". The New York Times. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  18. ^ "18 days of military operations in Aleppo and Idlib: 1060 regime soldiers, Turks, rebels and jihadis killed, regime forces control the strategic M5 and capture 162 areas • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 12 February 2020.
  19. ^ "بغطاء ناري مكثف.. قوات النظام تتقدم بضواحي مدينة حلب وتسيطر على بلدة وتلة استراتيجية". 16 February 2020.
  20. ^ "Turkey-Russia Patrols Start Amid Protests on Syrian Highway". The New York Times. 15 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  21. ^ Gurcan, Metin (18 March 2020). "Turkey's geostrategic orientation at crossroads amid Idlib tangle". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  22. ^ "بهجوم معاكس.. الفصائل تستعيد السيطرة بلدة "كفرعويد".. وأكثر من 200 ضربة جوية تستهدف منطقة "بوتين-أردوغان"". SOHR. 27 February 2020.
  23. ^ Regime forces advance rapidly in west and north-west of Aleppo amid ongoing and intensive aerial bombardment, SOHR
  24. ^ . al-Masdar News. 22 December 2019. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  25. ^ a b c "Armed Opposition Thwarts Iranian Attack East of Idleb". ZAMAN AL WASL, Syrian Observer. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  26. ^ "Syrian regime commander reportedly killed in Turkish drone strike in Aleppo". Rudaw. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  27. ^ a b "Turkish combat drones kill 3 Assad regime generals in Idlib". Daily Sabah. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  28. ^ a b c d "24 members of Syrian government forces including colonel were killed in Idlib – Enab Baladi". Enab Baladi. 29 December 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g Joe Truzman (5 February 2020). "Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias suffer heavy losses fighting in Syria". Long War Journal. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  30. ^ A prominent Tahrir al-Sham commander killed in southern Idlib, Islamic World News
  31. ^ a b Idlib Post. "Pictures of the visit of the President of the Syrian National Coalition "Anas al-Abda" the head of the Syrian Interim Government "Abdul Rahman Mustafa" and the Minister of Defense of the Syrian Interim Government "Salim Idris" to the fronts of Idlib Governorate".
  32. ^ a b c d e f g . Nedaa Syria. 31 January 2020. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  33. ^ "Turkey, Russia face off in Syria as fighting escalates, plane shot down". Reuters. 3 March 2020.
  34. ^ "Turkish losses rise in dangerous escalation over Syria's Idlib". Al-Monitor. 27 February 2020.
  35. ^ "A former leader in the opposition warns of a second phase of the Idlib battles". 23 August 2019.
  36. ^ "The second battle of Idlib ... a maneuver by the regime to implement "Sochi"?".
  37. ^ a b Fehim Tastekin (16 February 2020). "Is Turkey planning to curb radicals in Idlib under strategy shift?". Monitor. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  38. ^ "Bahar Kalkanı Harekatı'nı Korgeneral Sinan Yayla yürütecek". 2 March 2020.
  39. ^ a b . Al-Masdar News. 21 December 2019. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  40. ^ a b c d e f Mais Hamad (29 January 2020). "Aleppo is living nightmare of future battle". Enab Baladi. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  41. ^ a b Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (18 March 2021). "The Qamr Bani Hashim Division". Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  42. ^ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (February 2020). "The Life of Farid Khattab of the 313 Force". Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi.
  43. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (9 February 2020). "The Special Assignments Battalion: Local Defence Forces Unit". Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  44. ^ a b . Al-Masdar News. 27 January 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  45. ^ "Map: Militant forces in Idlib buckle under huge Syrian Army assault |". 20 December 2019.
  46. ^ a b "Palestinian Group Engaged in Pro-Govt Battles in Syria's Idlib Province". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  47. ^ Four FSB special forces officers reportedly killed in Syria, Meduza
  48. ^ a b c d e Zulfiqar Ali (18 February 2020). "Syria: Who's in control of Idlib?". BBC. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  49. ^ a b Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (26 February 2020). "Malhama Tactical: Interview". Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  50. ^ a b c d e "HTS denies claims it is preventing military reinforcement from reaching Idlib". Enab Baladi. 25 December 2019.
  51. ^ Bilal Abdul Kareem (29 February 2020). "Battle for Idlib: On the frontline with the fighters resisting Assad's assault". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  52. ^ a b "Turkey tests limits of Moscow-Damascus alliance". Al-Monitor. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  53. ^ "Turkish losses rise in dangerous escalation over Syria's Idlib". Al-Monitor. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  54. ^ Harun al-Aswad (29 February 2020). "Rebels vow to retake Kafranbel, Syria's revolutionary stronghold". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  55. ^ "150 Turkish military vehicles enter Syria as calm prevails the "de-escalation" zone • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 6 March 2020.
  56. ^ Gumrukcu, Tuvan (6 March 2020). "Ceasefire in Syria's Idlib comes at a cost for Turkey's Erdogan". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.
  57. ^ a b 383 soldiers and 357 rebels killed (19 Dec.-23 Jan.),[6][7] 1,129 rebels and 1,098 soldiers killed (15 Jan.-5 March),[8] 9 rebels and 6 soldiers killed (6 March),[9] 1 rebel killed (10 March) [10] total of 1,496 rebels and 1,487 pro-government soldiers reported killed. 38 of the soldiers were non-Syrian.[11][12]
  58. ^ a b "Turkey-backed Rebels Down Syrian Army Helicopter as Fighting Escalates". Haaretz. Associated Press. 11 February 2020.
  59. ^ a b "Syrian rebels shoot down second government helicopter in a week". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  60. ^ a b c d e Karnozov, Vladimir (2 March 2020). "Fighter-bombers and Anka UAVs Downed as Turkey and Syria Exchange Blows". Aviation International News. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  61. ^ "Turkey shoots down two Syrian government warplanes over Idlib". Al Jazeera. 1 March 2020.
  62. ^ Reuters Staff (3 March 2020). "Turkey says Syrian government warplane shot down". Reuters – via www.reuters.com. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  63. ^ "Iran Buries 21 Afghan, Pakistani Proxy Fighters Killed In Syria". RFE/RL. March 2020.
  64. ^ "Turkish drones kill 19 regime soldiers, the death toll of regime forces and loyalists rises to 93 in less than 72 hours • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 1 March 2020.
  65. ^ "72 hours of violent escalation: four Russian soldiers and 125 regime soldiers, fighters and jihadies killed in military operations in Idlib and Aleppo, while nearly 1,800 strikes kill and injure over 140 civilians". SOHR. 18 January 2020.
  66. ^ Jihadists kill 4 Russian soldiers in western Aleppo 11 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Al-Masdar
    Four FSB special forces officers reportedly killed in Syria, Meduza
  67. ^ . Al-Masdar News. 3 February 2020. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  68. ^ "Turkish drones and artillery resume targeting regime's military vehicles and positions in Idlib countryside • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 3 March 2020.
  69. ^ The Turkish president confirmed 59 were killed,[13] including 1 civilian contractor,[14] bringing the total to 58 soldiers killed. Separately, the SOHR reported 73 killed,[15][16] including 1 civilian contractor,[17] bringing the total to 72 soldiers killed.
  70. ^ 1 TAI Anka-S (26 February) [18] 11 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine[19] 11 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine
    1 Bayraktar TB2 (February 2020) [20] 2 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine[21]
    1 TAI Anka-S (1 March)[22][23]
    1 Bayraktar TB2 (3 March)[24][25]
    1 Bayraktar TB2 (4 March) [26] 26 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  71. ^ Ripley, Tim; Weekly, London - Jane's Defence (6 March 2020). "Turkish UAVs played leading role in Idlib battle". Jane's 360. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  72. ^ Deeb, Sarah El (14 February 2020). "Syrian refugees run out of room in final opposition enclave". SFChronicle.com. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  73. ^ a b "Syrian pilot killed as Turkey downs warplane: monitor". France 24. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  74. ^ a b Gumrukcu, Tuvan (3 March 2020). "Relief operations in Syria's Idlib overwhelmed - U.N. official". U.K. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  75. ^ a b "4 March 2020 - The Refugee Brief". The Refugee Brief. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  76. ^ "After 9 days of bloody clashes, Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham with the "jihadi" factions control about 80% of the area of what is left for the opposition factions within Syrian territory". syriahr.com. 9 January 2020.
  77. ^ a b "Nearly 700,000 Displaced in NW Syria as Regime Fire Spikes". Asharq AL-awsat.
  78. ^ "Russian, Syrian Regime Forces Step Up Attacks on Rebel Stronghold Idlib". Voice of America. 8 December 2019.
  79. ^ "Turkey bolsters Idlib outposts as Syrian gov't forces make gains". Al Jazeera. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  80. ^ "Syrian Attacks Draw Turkey Deeper Into Syrian War". The New York Times. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  81. ^ "Turkey launches Operation Spring Shield". Hürriyet Daily News. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  82. ^ a b Soldatkin, Vladimir (6 March 2020). "Russia, Turkey agree ceasefire deal for Syria's Idlib". Reuters. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  83. ^ a b "A shameful response to the tragedy in Idlib". Financial Times. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  84. ^ "Turkey designates Syria's Tahrir al-Sham as terrorist group". Reuters. 31 August 2018 – via uk.reuters.com.
  85. ^ "Turkey designates Syria's Tahrir al-Sham as terrorist group". Reuters. 31 August 2018 – via uk.reuters.com.
  86. ^ "Full text of Turkey, Russia agreement on northeast Syria". www.aljazeera.com.
  87. ^ "Syria: Idlib IDP camp hit by deadly missile attack". Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera Media Network. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  88. ^ McKernan, Bethan (21 November 2019). "Syrian regime targets hospital and refugee camp, killing at least 22". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  89. ^ Ortagus, Morgan (21 November 2019). "Attack on al-Qah IDP Camp in Northern Syria". U.S. Department of State. United States Government. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  90. ^ "Syrian troops capture village from insurgents in Idlib". AP NEWS. 24 November 2019.
  91. ^ "Middle East Arab News & Opinion". Asharq AL-awsat. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  92. ^ "Teroristi se razbežali, raspao se front, Asadove snage nezaustavljivo jure na Marat al Numan! (MAPA)". Alo!.
  93. ^ "شبكة بلدي الإعلامية |". baladi-news.com.[permanent dead link]
  94. ^ الشامية, محرر الدرر (29 November 2019). ""تحرير الشام" تحبط هجومين لقوات الأسد وميليشيات إيران على محور الكبينة باللاذقية خلال 24 ساعة". الدرر الشامية.
  95. ^ Desk, News (30 November 2019). . Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2019. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  96. ^ "Syrian army rejects terrorist offensive southeast of Idleb". Prensa Latina, Cuba.
  97. ^ "As clashes continue in Idlib fronts .. 5 members of the regime forces killed including an officer • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 4 December 2019.
  98. ^ "SAA control military base east of Umm Al-Tinah Idlib Governorate". Map of Syrian Civil War - Syria news and incidents today - syria.liveuamap.com.
  99. ^ Desk, News (9 December 2019). . al-Masdar. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  100. ^ Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, 28 January 2020
  101. ^ . Al-Masdar News. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  102. ^ "Deadly Russian bombardment of Idlib is response to 'opposition rejection of land-grab proposal'". The New Arab. 18 December 2019.
  103. ^ a b c "As Syria's army advances into Idlib, a mass exodus is underway". Los Angeles Times. 26 December 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  104. ^ . Al-Masdar News. 19 December 2019. Archived from the original on 9 February 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  105. ^ The New Arab & (19 December 2019). "Russian and Syrian regime airstrikes continue to hit Idlib". alaraby. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  106. ^ "Tens of thousands of civilians flee renewed Syria violence". News24. 21 December 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  107. ^ . Al-Masdar News. 21 December 2019. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  108. ^ . Al-Masdar News. 21 December 2019. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  109. ^ "After besieging the Turkish point in Morek months ago, the regime forces almost besiege the Turkish point in "al-Sarman" and control areas in the Maarrat al-Nu'man countryside". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 22 December 2019.
  110. ^ "Syria regime forces surround Turkish army post in Idlib". France 24. 23 December 2019.
  111. ^ "Regime forces go deep in Jarjanaz town's neighborhoods and get closer to Maarrat al-Nu'man city, less than 9 km away of it". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 23 December 2019.
  112. ^ "Russian-backed Syrian forces close in on major city in rebel-held Idlib". Reuters. 24 December 2019.
  113. ^ "Opposition factions and jihadis continue counterattack in Maarrat Al-Nu'man countryside recovering more areas hours after regime had advanced into them". SOHR. 24 December 2019.
  114. ^ McKernan, Bethan; Akoush, Hussein (24 December 2019). "Thousands flee north-west Syria amid fierce assault by Assad". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  115. ^ . Al-Masdar News. 24 December 2019. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  116. ^ "Regime forces unleash new attack on Bernan and Farawan renewing the fierce battles in both eastern and south-eastern countryside • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 26 December 2019.
  117. ^ Desk, News (31 December 2019). . Al-Masdar. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  118. ^ Graham-Harrison, Emma; Akoush, Hussein (27 December 2019). "More than 235,000 people have fled Idlib region in Syria, says UN". The Guardian.
  119. ^ The New Arab (31 December 2019). "Hundreds of Turkish-backed Syrian fighters arrive in Idlib to halt regime advance". alaraby. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  120. ^ "Russia says ceasefire established in Syria's Idlib: TASS". Reuters. 9 January 2020.
  121. ^ "Turkey, Russia agree to ceasefire in war-torn Idlib, Syria | CBC News".
  122. ^ "Russia announces ceasefire deal with Turkey in Syria's Idlib". aljazeera.com.
  123. ^ "Opposition factions and jihadis attack regime positions east of Saraqib capturing a new village". SOHR. 17 January 2020.
  124. ^ "Syria war: Jihadist assault 'kills dozens of soldiers'". BBC. 23 January 2020.
  125. ^ . Al-Masdar News. 23 January 2020. Archived from the original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  126. ^ a b c McKernan, Bethan (28 January 2020). "Assad regime captures town in Syria's last rebel-held territory". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  127. ^ "Syrian Army kicks off long-awaited offensive in western Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  128. ^ "Regime forces block the international highway M5, capturing eight towns in less than 48 hours, and nearly 190 airstrikes on "Putin-Erdogan" area". SOHR. 26 January 2020.
  129. ^ "Syrian troops reach outskirts of key rebel-held town". Associated Press. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  130. ^ "The regime continues to advance in Idlib and casualties of the "Fatimiyoun" militia in Deir Ezzor". Baladi News. 27 January 2020.
  131. ^ "Syrian Army seizes 3 more towns in Idlib". Al-Masdar News. 27 January 2020.
  132. ^ "In less than 72 hours: Regime forces capture 22 areas southeast of Idlib, besieging Ma'rat al-Numan from three sides, and more than 200 people killed from warring sides". SOHR. 27 January 2020.
  133. ^ "Syrian government forces enter town south of Idlib city". Reuters. 28 January 2020.
  134. ^ "Syrian army 'recaptures' key town from opposition". BBC News. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  135. ^ "Syrian Army captures Ma'arat Al-Nu'man and Wadi Al-Deif Base". Al-Masdar News. 28 January 2020.
  136. ^ "Syrian Army keeps advancing in Idlib after seizing Ma'arat Al-Nu'man". Al-Masdar News. 28 January 2020.
  137. ^ "Syrian Army captures several sites in southern Aleppo amid push towards Khan Touman". Al-Masdar News. 28 January 2020.
  138. ^ "100 hours of military operations in Aleppo and Idlib: nearly 6,000 air and ground strikes, 26 areas fall to regime forces, and over 60,000 civilians displaced". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 29 January 2019.
  139. ^ News Desk (29 January 2020). "Syrian Army continues advance in Idlib, seizes new town". AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  140. ^ "Advancing front lines, mass exodus and hospitals targeted in Idlib - Syrian Arab Republic". ReliefWeb. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  141. ^ News Desk (29 January 2020). . AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  142. ^ a b c d Truzman, Joe (5 February 2020). "Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias suffer heavy losses fighting in Syria". FDD's Long War Journal. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  143. ^ a b c d "Jihadist car bomb attacks target Syrian pro-government forces in Aleppo". Reuters. 1 February 2020.
  144. ^ Desk, News (30 January 2020). "Nouriddeen Al-Zinki sends reinforcements to help jihadists in west Aleppo". Al-Masdar. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  145. ^ McKernan, Bethan (31 January 2020). "Syria: pro-Assad forces batter Idlib and spark fears of fresh crisis". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  146. ^ "Syria's Idlib 'hit by 200 strikes in three days'". BBC News. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  147. ^ "Turkish military sets 3rd observation point near Syria's Saraqib". DailySabah. February 2020.
  148. ^ a b al-Khateb, Khaled (16 February 2020). "Syrian shelling in Idlib knocks out dozens of medical facilities". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  149. ^ "Four FSB special forces officers reportedly killed in Syria". Meduza (in Latin). 3 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  150. ^ Malley, JP O’ (13 February 2020). "Senior commander in Iran's Quds Force reported killed in Aleppo battle". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  151. ^ "Iran Announces Death of Soleimani's Guard in Southern Aleppo". Asharq AL-awsat. Middle East Arab News & Opinion. 4 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  152. ^ . Xinhua (in Latin). 21 March 2017. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  153. ^ a b McKernan, Bethan (3 February 2020). "Turkish soldiers killed as battle for control of Idlib escalates". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  154. ^ "The number of Turkish soldiers killed by regime fire on "Tarnabeh" military post rises to eight". 3 February 2020.
  155. ^ "8 Turkish personnel, 13 Syrian troops killed in north Syria". AP NEWS. 3 February 2020.
  156. ^ "Turkey targets Syria troops in deadly counterattack - 03.02.2020". DW.COM. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  157. ^ "Turkey Launches Deadly Airstrikes Against Syrian Forces". The New York Times. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  158. ^ Akar, Hulusi (5 February 2020). "Turkey's Claim of Killing 76 Syrian Troops Has Scant Evidence". POLYGRAPH.info. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  159. ^ "Turkey hits back after soldiers killed in Syrian gov't shelling". aljazeera.com.
  160. ^ "Центр по примирению сторон опроверг данные о потерях сирийских войск". rg.ru. 14 February 2020.
  161. ^ "Turkey, Russia Can Tackle Syria Escalation 'Without Anger': Erdogan". The New York Times. 5 February 2020.
  162. ^ "Erdogan says Syrian forces must pull back from Idlib posts". Al Jazeera. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  163. ^ "Breaking: Syrian Army captured villages of Balisah, Tal Aghar, Abandoned Air Defense base, Jadida Tal Khatra, Mushrifa in Idlib province". iswnews.com. 5 February 2020.
  164. ^ a b McKernan, Bethan (5 February 2020). "500,000 flee Syrian regime's deadly offensive in Idlib". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  165. ^ "Regime forces encircle the strategic town of Saraqeb from three directions • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 5 February 2020.
  166. ^ a b "Saraqib falls out of opposition control… What will happen to Turkey's military observation post? – Enab Baladi". Enab Baladi. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  167. ^ a b "Syrian army enters key Idlib town Saraqeb". BBC News. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  168. ^ "Israel 'hits Iran-backed fighters in Syria'". BBC News. 6 February 2020.
  169. ^ . almasdarnews.com. 8 February 2020. Archived from the original on 9 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  170. ^ a b c d Hodge, Jeremy (11 February 2020). "Syria Hears the Death Rattle of the Arab Spring as Assad and Putin Forces Advance". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  171. ^ a b "Syrian Attacks Draw Turkey Deeper Into Syrian War". The New York Times. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  172. ^ "Syrian Army Secures ICARDA Center and Two Towns Along M5 Highway". 6 June 2023.
  173. ^ "Regime rapid advancement in rural Aleppo: only two km separate Syrian regime from controlling the strategic M5 • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". 9 February 2020.
  174. ^ a b "Syrian shellfire kills Turkish soldiers in Idlib". BBC News. 10 February 2020.
  175. ^ "Rocket attack on Taftanaz military airport leaves ten people dead among Turkish troops and proxies factions". 10 February 2020.
  176. ^ "Lostarmour ID: 22249". lostarmour.info.
  177. ^ "رتل الجيش التركي يحترق في إدلب ( صور )". 10 February 2020.
  178. ^ "Turkey says it hit 115 Syrian government targets, destroyed 101 after attacks on soldiers". Reuters. 10 February 2020.
  179. ^ "Syrian Army captures militant stronghold in southwest Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. 10 February 2020.
  180. ^ a b c d Al-Khalidi, Suleiman (11 February 2020). "Turkey says 51 Syrian soldiers killed as rebels hit back in Idlib". U.K. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  181. ^ "Syria Relief Healthworker Killed In Airstrike - Syrian Arab Republic". ReliefWeb. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  182. ^ a b c "Eight health facilities affected by conflict in NW Syria in one week - Syrian Arab Republic". ReliefWeb. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  183. ^ a b c d "Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock: Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Northwest Syria, 19 February 2020 - Syrian Arab Republic". ReliefWeb. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  184. ^ "Assad forces retake key Syrian highway". DW. 11 February 2020.
  185. ^ "Syrian government retakes strategic highway as helicopter shot down". middleeasteye.net. 11 February 2020.
  186. ^ "Government troops seize highway in northwest Syria as Turkey-Russia talks end inconclusively". Reuters. 11 February 2020.
  187. ^ "Syrian regime forces carrying backpacks with UNICEF logo". Syrian Network for Human Rights (in Latin). 19 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  188. ^ Ensor, Josie (21 February 2020). "Exclusive: Syrian forces deliberately shot elderly women". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  189. ^ al-Khateb, Khaled (19 February 2020). "Syrian army makes gains in Idlib, opposition blames Turkey". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  190. ^ McKernan, Bethan (20 February 2020). "The highway that determines the future for Syria and its citizens". the Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  191. ^ "AP Explains: Why Syria's M5 is Assad's highway to victory". AP NEWS. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  192. ^ "Syrian Arab Republic". ReliefWeb. 13 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  193. ^ McKernan, Bethan (11 February 2020). "700,000 displaced by Idlib fighting as Syria-Turkey tensions rise". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  194. ^ "'No place to go': Syrian doctor says more than 700,000 Idlib residents stranded - CBC Radio". CBC. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  195. ^ "Idlib's humanitarian crisis: Plight of Syrian children left suffering and dying during attacks". ITV News. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  196. ^ a b "Children dying from the cold in northwest Syria, says IRC - Syrian Arab Republic". ReliefWeb. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  197. ^ correspondent, Bethan McKernan Middle East (12 February 2020). "Erdoğan threatens Assad with retaliation if more troops harmed". theguardian.com.
  198. ^ "Vital Idlib aid deliveries resume after 'heavy bombing' - WFP". UN News. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  199. ^ a b c "People in Idlib race to flee airstrikes as safe area shrinks in Syria". Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  200. ^ AFP (26 August 2018). "Syria government forces chip away at rebel enclave". Yahoo News UK. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  201. ^ "Syrian Army captures new ground in southwest Aleppo after failed jihadist offensive". Al-Masdar News. 13 February 2020.
  202. ^ "Syrian Army presses forward in west Aleppo as they approach key base". Al-Masdar News. 13 February 2020.
  203. ^ "SDF denies supporting Syrian government offensive against rebels in northwest Syria". kurdistan24.net. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  204. ^ a b c d Crawford, Alex; Syria, in northwest (19 February 2020). "Idlib: The Syrian province where war crimes are being committed and the world is doing nothing to help". Sky News. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  205. ^ "Su-34 Nga lập kỳ tích chặn đứng quân Thổ - QĐ Syria bất ngờ mở hướng tiến công mới, phiến quân trở tay không kịp". soha.vn.
  206. ^ "Assad vows to defeat rebels, as forces capture new ground". AP NEWS. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  207. ^ a b "Syrian forces seize most of Aleppo province, on eve of Turkey-Russia talks". NBC News. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  208. ^ News Desk (16 February 2020). . AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  209. ^ "Syrian forces seize most of Aleppo province, on eve of Turkey-Russia talks". NBC News. 17 February 2020.
  210. ^ "Assad pledges to continue onslaught that has displaced 900,000". aljazeera.com.
  211. ^ Ensor, Josie (18 February 2020). "Assad says Syrian regime will see victory 'sooner or later' as hospitals and refugee camp targeted". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  212. ^ "Syria's military hails advance against rebels in 'record time'". PBS. 17 February 2020.
  213. ^ "Breaking: 2 Hospitals Bombed in Aleppo, Syria Including Maternity Hospital, Last in Western Aleppo - Syrian Arab Republic". ReliefWeb. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  214. ^ a b Knecht, Eric (18 February 2020). "Air strikes hit hospitals, camps in northwest Syria, Turkey demands pull-back". U.S. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  215. ^ "Erdogan threatens 'imminent' Turkish operation in Syria". aljazeera.com.
  216. ^ . Syrian Network for Human Rights. 20 February 2020. Archived from the original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  217. ^ Turkish forces and opposition factions storm Al-Nayrab amid fierce battles with regime forces, SOHR
  218. ^ Harun al-Aswad, Ragip Soylu (20 February 2020). "Two Turkish soldiers killed as Syrian rebels stage assault on Idlib's Neirab". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  219. ^ a b Fierce battles continue in Al-Nayrab and Turkish forces shell Saraqeb and surrounding villages intensively, SOHR
  220. ^ The New Arab (20 February 2020). "Turkey launches 'limited' operation to retake Idlib towns". alaraby. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  221. ^ Russian Su-24 Bomber almost shot down, Eurasian Times, 28 February 2020
  222. ^ Turkish-backed militants attempt to shoot down Russian aircraft over Idlib: video 20 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Al-Masdar
  223. ^ Turkish soldiers killed in Syria amid threats of escalation, AP, 20 February 2020
  224. ^ Clashes in Syria's Idlib kill 27 fighters: monitor 2 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Star Lebanon, 20 February 2020
  225. ^ Rusya'dan İdlib açıklaması: Ankara'yla temas kurduk, Türkiye Suriye ordusuna yönelik topçu ateşini durduruldu, BBC Turkish
  226. ^ Son dakika haberleri... İdlib'den acı haber! 2 şehit, 5 yaralı, Milliyet
  227. ^ Turkey Claims 'More Than 50' Syrian Forces Killed After Two Turkish Soldiers Killed in Airstrike, Ha'aretz
  228. ^ Breaking: Russia destroys 10 Turkish-backed militant vehicles in northern Syria 23 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Al-Masdar
  229. ^ a b "Turkey suffers casualties as Syrian government continues advance on Idlib". haaretz.com. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  230. ^ Nearly 45 regime and Turkish soldiers and rebels killed in shelling and violent battles on Al-Nayrab frontline, east of Idlib, SOHR
  231. ^ Turkey Asks U.S. for Patriot Missiles to Deter Russia in Syria, MSN.com
  232. ^ Turkey asks US for Patriot missiles as two Turkish soldiers killed in Idlib airstrike, Telegraph
  233. ^ В Турции опровергли сообщения о просьбе к США поставить ЗРК Patriot, RIA
  234. ^ Reuters Editorial (20 February 2020). "Turkey, Russia discussing use of Syrian air space in Idlib: minister". U.S. Retrieved 28 February 2020. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  235. ^ "Syrian regime bombed several vital facilities in Hazarin village in Idlib, on February 20". Syrian Network for Human Rights. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  236. ^ "Syrian regime bombed a mosque in Ma'aret Harma village in Idlib, on February 20". Syrian Network for Human Rights. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  237. ^ Regime artillery fire injures many Turkish soldiers in Jabal Al-Zawiya forcing Turkish troops to retreat, SOHR
  238. ^ Syrian Army seizes 3 more towns in southeast Idlib as jihadists retreat west 24 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Al-Masdar
  239. ^ Jihadist defenses collapse in southern Idlib as Syrian Army advances across Jabal Al-Zawiya, Al-Masdar
  240. ^ Regime and Russian jets target Turkish post south of Idlib, killing and injuring ten soldiers, SOHR
  241. ^ Several Turkish soldiers allegedly killed in new Syrian-Russian air attack in Idlib, Al-Masdar
  242. ^ Turkish troops respond to regime aerial bombardment on Turkish post in Kansafra, while Russian raids kill five civilians in Jabal Al-Zawiya, SOHR
  243. ^ a b Turkish-backed militants retake key town in eastern Idlib after costly battle, Al-Masdar
  244. ^ a b "Factions control Neirab town, nine members of the regime forces were killed in Turkish ground shelling on rural Idlib, and 37 dead of the regime forces and the factions in Neirab town". SOHR. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  245. ^ "Moderate opposition takes key village in northern Syria". Anadolu Ajansı. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  246. ^ Salahi, Amr (26 February 2020). "Kafranbel: Iconic revolutionary town falls to the Assad regime". alaraby. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  247. ^ Over 15 areas fall to regime forces in south Idlib countryside in less than 36 hours, and 16 regime soldiers, rebels and jihaids killed in Al-Nayrab battles, SOHR
  248. ^ Backed by intensive Turkish firepower, rebels advance from Al-Nayrab and capture new area west of saraqeb, SOHR
  249. ^ Syrian regime jets target Turkish troops at Taftanaz military airport northeast of Idlib, and rocket attacks on Idilb leave four people dead, SOHR
  250. ^ Agency: the Syrian army shot down a Turkish plane marching over Idlib … video 11 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine, MBS
  251. ^ "February 25, 2020, 25 civilians killed in Syria". Syrian Network for Human Rights. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  252. ^ "Syria: footage shows rescue mission after airstrikes target schools in Idlib – video". the Guardian. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  253. ^ 'WE ARE OVERWHELMED': DOCTORS IN SYRIA'S IDLIB ARE 'POWERLESS' IN THE FACE OF RUSSIAN-BACKED OFFENSIVE, MSF SAYS, Newsweek, 27 February 2020
  254. ^ "Syria: Indiscriminate attacks on civilians must stop". MSF UK. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  255. ^ "Fresh Syria strikes 'target schools and hospitals'". BBC News. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  256. ^ Regime forces target Turkish military column in Jabal Al-Zawiyah destroying at least one vehicle, SOHR
  257. ^ Two Turkish troops killed as state media intensifies attack on Russia, Ahval News
  258. ^ "Syrian regime bombed a hospital in Idlib city, on February 26". Syrian Network for Human Rights. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  259. ^ "Toll of civilian victims killed by Syrian- Russian alliance in northwest Syria during 44 days". Syrian Network for Human Rights (in Latin). 26 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  260. ^ al-Khateb, Khaled (27 February 2020). "Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces claim gains in Idlib". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  261. ^ "Turkish forces and proxy factions capture Saraqeb city, cutting off Damascus-Aleppo international highway". SOHR. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  262. ^ "Turkish forces break siege imposed on military posts in Saraqeb, while regime forces advance further into Sahl Al-Ghab". SOHR. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  263. ^ McKernan, Bethan (27 February 2020). "Syrian rebels retake key town in Idlib from Assad forces". the Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  264. ^ Regime forces advance further in Sahl Al-Ghab and ten villages separate them from having full control over Hama province, and rebels carry out new offensive far east of Idlib backed by Turkish firepower, SOHR
  265. ^ a b Gurcan, Metin (28 February 2020). "Deciphering Turkey's darkest night in Syria". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  266. ^ a b Turkish soldiers die from airstrikes in Idlib, Der Spiegel
  267. ^ a b Dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in strike in Idlib in Syria 29 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian/MSN
  268. ^ Tuysuz, Gul; Sariyuce, Isil (27 February 2020). "At least 33 Turkish soldiers killed in an air attack by Syrian regime, Turkish governor says". CNN. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  269. ^ Reuters Editorial (28 February 2020). "Attack in Syria's Idlib killed 33 Turkish soldiers: Hatay governor". U.S. Retrieved 28 February 2020. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  270. ^ Simon Tisdall, Erdoğan is reaping what he sowed: Turkey is on the brink of disaster in Syria, Guardian Comment
  271. ^ a b c "Alarm after Syrian attack kills Turkish soldiers". BBC News. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  272. ^ At least 34 Turkish soldiers killed during airstrikes in Idlib, Arab News
  273. ^ Tisdall, Simon (2 March 2020). "Erdoğan is reaping what he sowed: Turkey is on the brink of disaster in Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  274. ^ McKernan, Bethan (28 February 2020). "Dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in strike in Idlib in Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  275. ^ "The Strike: Did Russia Knowingly Target Turkish Troops?". POLYGRAPH.info. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
August 23, 2023
northwestern, syria, offensive, december, 2019, march, 2020, northwestern, syria, offensive, december, 2019, march, 2020, part, syrian, civil, turkish, military, operation, idlib, governoratetop, situation, northwestern, syria, march, 2020, locations, turkish,. Northwestern Syria offensive December 2019 March 2020 Part of the Syrian Civil War and the Turkish military operation in Idlib GovernorateTop Situation in Northwestern Syria as of 8 March 2020 Locations of Turkish Russian and Iranian outposts are marked Bottom Situation along the M4 Highway after the 6 March 2020 ceasefire Syrian Army control Syrian Opposition control Syrian Army amp SDF controlDate19 December 2019 9 10 11 12 13 6 March 2020 2 months 2 weeks and 2 days LocationNorthwestern Syria Western Aleppo Governorate Idlib Governorate Northwestern Hama GovernorateResultSyrian Army and allies victory 14 TerritorialchangesSyrian Army and allies capture 2 345 square kilometers of territory 15 better source needed and 295 towns villages and hilltops 16 including the strategic cities of Ma arrat al Nu man and Saraqib 17 and the towns of Jarjanaz Kafr Rumah Hish Kafranbel Khan Tuman Al Eiss and the Al Ghab Plain 18 19 Syrian Army and allies gain complete control over the entire M5 highway 20 21 Syrian Army and allies encircle 9 out of 29 Turkish observation posts 22 23 Turkish backed rebels recapture 19 towns and villages including the northern part of the Al Ghab Plain 16 Belligerents Syria Russia IranAllied militias PMF affiliated militias Liwa Fatemiyoun 1 Liwa Zainebiyoun 1 Hezbollah 2 3 Fateh Mubin operations room 4 Hayat Tahrir al Sham National Front for Liberation also part of Syrian National Army Jaysh al Izza 5 Syrian National Army Turkey from 3 February Ajnad al Kavkaz 6 Rouse the Believers Operations Room 7 Turkistan Islamic Party 8 Commanders and leadersMaj Gen Suheil al Hassan 24 25 25th Special Forces commander Maj Gen Maher al Assad 25 4th Division commander Brig Gen Burhan Rahmun commander of 124 Brigade of Republican Guard 26 Brig Gen Ismael Ali 27 Col Mazar Farwati 27 Col Basil Ali Khaddour commander of 6th regiment of 25th Special Forces 28 Juma al Ahmad 29 Baqir Brigade commander Asghar Pashapour 8 IRGC senior commander Iranian backed militias overseer Jaafar al Sadiq 2 29 Hezbollah commander Abu Mohammad al Julani 29 Hayat Tahrir al Sham leader Abu Ubeidah al Kansafra Hayat Tahrir al Sham commander 30 better source needed Obada Abu Jafar Ansar al Tawhid commander Maj Gen Salim Idris 31 Syrian Interim Government Defense Minister Syrian National Army Chief of Staff Brig Gen Adnan al Ahmad 31 Syrian National Army Deputy Chief of Staff Thaer Maarouf 32 First Legion leader Gen Ahmad Rahhal SAA defector 33 Captain Mustafa Kuja 32 Northern Command commander Ali Jaber Pasha Leader of Ahrar al Sham 34 Col Mustafa Bakour Leader of Jaysh al Izza 35 36 Hulusi Akar 37 Turkish Minister of Defense Lt Gen Sinan Yayla 38 2nd Army commander Units involved Syria Syrian Arab Army 5th Corps 39 Republican Guard 40 25th Special Mission Forces Division 39 4th Armoured Division 40 25 Local Defence Forces 29 Baqir Brigade 40 Qamr Bani Hashim Division 41 313 Force 41 42 Special Assignments Battalion 43 National Defence Forces 44 Palestinian Syrian militias Liwa al Quds 40 45 better source needed FPM 46 Al Quds Brigades 46 Military Intelligence Directorate Forces of the Fighters of the Tribes a Russia Air Force Federal Security Service Spetsgruppa K advisors 47 Military Police Iran IRGC 40 Quds Force 8 Iranian affiliated militias 8 Hezbollah Lebanese Hezbollah 2 29 Syrian Hezbollah 1 Hayat Tahrir al Sham Aleppo City Battalion 40 Red Bands 29 Tawhid and Jihad Brigade 48 Popular Resistance Units 49 Imam Bukhari Jamaat 48 Syrian National Army National Front for Liberation 50 Jaysh al Ahrar 51 1st Legion Ahrar al Sharqiya 50 9th Division 32 Samarkand Brigade 32 Northern Brigade 32 2nd Legion Sultan Murad Division 52 Hamza Division 52 3rd Legion Ahrar al Sham 53 Glory Corps 32 Levant Front 50 Northern Command 32 Lions of the East Army 50 Northern Division 54 Turkish Armed Forces Turkish Land Forces Turkish Air ForceRouse the Believers Operations Room Guardians of Religion Organization 7 Ansar al Tawhid 7 37 Ansar al Islam 7 Malhama Tactical 49 6 StrengthUnknown12 000 20 000 48 22 000 50 000 total not all involved 48 8 350 55 20 000 56 3 500 5 000 48 Casualties and losses1 449 killed 57 2 SyAAF Mi 17s shot down 58 59 60 2 SyAAF SU 24s shot down 61 1 SyAAF L 39 shot down 62 21 killed 63 15 killed 29 64 8 killed 65 66 5 killed 67 68 1 496 killed 57 59 73 killed 58 72 soldiers 1 contractor 69 note 1 5 12 TAF combat drones shot down 70 71 370 civilians killed per UN by February 72 470 civilians killed per SOHR 73 980 000 civilians displaced from Idlib and Aleppo 74 75 The 2019 2020 northwestern Syria offensive codenamed Dawn of Idlib 2 11 was a military operation launched by the armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic Russia Iran Hezbollah and other allied militias against Syrian opposition and allied fighters of the Syrian National Army Hayat Tahrir al Sham Rouse the Believers Operations Room the Turkistan Islamic Party and other rebel and Salafi jihadist 76 forces in Idlib and surrounding governorates during the Syrian civil war The offensive began on 19 December 2019 and saw Russian backed pro Syrian government forces clash with Turkish backed opposition groups along with leaving 980 000 civilians displaced 77 78 By February 2020 pro government forces had encircled several Turkish observation posts that had been established throughout Idlib 79 80 On 27 February after intermittent deadly clashes between Turkish and Syrian forces Turkey formally intervened in the offensive and announced the beginning of Operation Spring Shield with the aim of pushing Syrian government forces back to pre offensive frontlines 81 On 5 March 2020 a meeting took place between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in which they agreed on a ceasefire beginning on 6 March that established a six kilometer secure corridor along the M4 Highway The ceasefire also called for joint Turkish Russian patrols along the highway beginning on 15 March 82 Contents 1 Background 2 Prelude 3 The offensive 3 1 Opening advances 3 2 Russia Turkey ceasefire 3 3 Post ceasefire advances 3 4 Capture of Ma arrat al Nu man 3 5 Army advance towards Saraqib and proposed Turkish deadline 3 6 Siege and capture of Saraqib 3 7 Army captures the M5 highway and continued Turkish clashes 3 8 Western Aleppo assault and rebel retreat 3 9 Rebel counteroffensive towards Saraqib begins 3 10 Al Ghab plain Zawiya mountains assault rebels recapture Saraqib 3 11 Operation Spring Shield 3 11 1 No fly zone in Idlib and battle for Saraqib 3 12 Second Russia Turkey ceasefire 4 Aftermath and Russian Turkish joint patrols 5 Humanitarian consequences 6 Reactions 6 1 Supranational 6 2 National 6 3 Local 7 Notes 8 ReferencesBackground EditMain articles Idlib demilitarization 2018 2019 and Northwestern Syria offensive April August 2019 Following Syrian government victories in 2018 during the siege of Eastern Ghouta the Southern Damascus offensive and the completion of rebel evacuations from eastern Qalamoun which partially concluded the government s Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign parts of northwestern Syria in the Idlib and Aleppo Governorates became the only significant opposition controlled territory Fighters of the Syrian National Army loyal to the Syrian Interim Government concentrated in Aleppo and some 20 000 fighters aligned with the internationally proscribed terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al Sham HTS and loyal to the Syrian Salvation Government concentrated in Idlib held out against Bashar al Assad s government and its allies with a civilian population of three million living in the area 83 84 According to a Reuters analysis the January 2019 takeover of Idlib by Hayat Tahrir al Sham ended any realistic prospect of fulfilling the requirements of the 2018 Turko Russian Agreement which called for the disarming of the jihadist faction and reopening of the strategic M4 and M5 highways 85 The offensive that began in December 2019 was aimed at reopening the highways to civilian traffic as well as the final elimination of rebel control over the territory 83 86 Prelude EditOn 20 November 2019 Qah was struck by a ground to ground missile from the Syrian government with Russian and Iranian support 87 It killed at least 16 people 88 The United States strongly condemned the attack 89 On 24 November 2019 pro Syrian government forces supported by Russian airstrikes entered the villages of Umm Elkhalayel Zarzur al Sayeer and Msheirfeh causing dozens of casualties on both sides 90 91 The next day a second advance was attempted by government forces targeting the village of al Farjah which Syrian state media reported as being under the control of Hayat Tahrir al Sham HTS 92 better source needed On 26 November opposition media reported that the rebel Al Fatah al Mubin Operations Room repelled another attempted government advance on the Sahel village in Idlib s southeastern countryside 93 On 28 November Hayat Tahrir al Sham announced repelling a joint Iranian militia Syrian advance on Kabani in northeastern Latakia Governorate with pro government forces withdrawing after hours of clashes Russian warplanes were also reportedly seen during the assault according to opposition sources 94 On 30 November HTS and other rebel groups reportedly captured several villages near the Abu al Duhur Military Airbase according to pro government sources 95 On 1 December according to government sources which HTS the Turkish backed National Front for Liberation NFL Ajnad al Kavkaz and Ansar al Tawhid attacked government controlled villages with fierce clashes occurring in the towns of Establat and Rassem Wared in which two tanks and five transport vehicles were reportedly destroyed during the rebel advance the Syrian military said it destroyed two SVBIEDs suicide car bombs near the town of Kafriya The joint rebel offensive was ultimately repelled 96 On 4 December clashes occurred 97 as the Syrian Arab Army SAA seized a military base east of Umm al Tinah village 98 better source needed On 9 December pro government sources reported that the military bombarded rebel held areas in the southern Idlib countryside as well as portions of the western Aleppo countryside and parts of Aleppo city s outskirts 99 The offensive EditPro government airstrikes in the region began to intensify on 15 December 2019 100 Meanwhile on 17 December Russian intelligence reported that 300 fighters from the Turkish backed Syrian National Army SNA arrived in Idlib from Afrin in preparation for renewed fighting 101 Following the air bombing campaign and after the 14th round of negotiations in Nur Sultan Kazakhstan ended a few days prior without any definitive ceasefire agreement ground fighting resumed on 18 December reportedly due to the opposition s refusal to accept new Russian terms regarding control of Idlib 102 As many as 200 Hayat Tahrir al Sham and Guardians of Religion Organization fighters jointly attacked Syrian government forces in the Umm al Khalakhil and Zarzur fronts The Syrian military said they had repelled all attacks and that 12 pro government fighters were injured and hospitalized Opening advances Edit On 19 December pro government media reported that the Syrian government had initiated the second phase of Operation Dawn of Idlib the prior government offensive in summer 2019 with pro government forces led by the 25th Special Mission Forces Division formerly known as the Tiger Forces attacking several villages in southeastern Idlib Governorate particularly along the Umm Jalal axis A Syrian military source said the objective of the operation was to capture territory south of Ma arrat al Nu man a key rebel stronghold on the M5 highway 103 104 There were Russian airstrikes on Tal Mardikh in the eastern Idlib countryside and the village of Marshamarin in southern Idlib and government helicopter barrel bomb attacks on Jarjnaz and al Ghadfah as well as bombing of Ma arrat al Nu man 105 80 people were reported killed on both sides on 20 21 December including in heavy air strikes on Ma arrat al Nu man and Saraqib 106 Russia reported that 17 Syrian soldiers were killed 28 On 21 December according to pro government sources several pro government fighters were killed in an ambush by the National Front for Liberation NFL in Latakia with several light weapons also captured 107 Meanwhile HTS claimed a suicide attack in the village of al Furqa southeast of Idlib which reportedly killed 30 Syrian government fighters 28 By 22 December government forces spearheaded by the 5th Corps and the 25th Special Mission Forces Division had made notable advances in the southeastern Idlib countryside battling rebel units in the area and reportedly capturing over 15 towns and villages within a 48 hour period According to front line reports the SAA death toll had risen to 40 with over 50 wounded An SAA source said the rebels had suffered 70 80 dead 108 During its advance the Syrian army began encircling the Turkish observation point near Sarman 109 Government sources reported the death of Colonel Basil Ali Khaddour the commander of the sixth regiment of the 25th Special Mission Forces Division while opposition media reported several of the Division s members killed 28 On 23 December the Syrian army advanced further completely surrounding the Turkish observation point near Sarman 110 and capturing Jarjnaz considered the largest town in the eastern countryside of Ma arrat al Nu man 111 112 On 24 December Hayat Tahrir al Sham and other opposition elements launched a morning counterattack to retake Jarjnaz recapturing the villages of Tell Mannas al Barsah Farwan and al Ghadfah in the process according to SOHR an SVBIED was deployed and attacked pro government forces in Jarjnaz 113 By 24 December 30 000 people had fled from the areas around Ma arrat al Nu man while airstrikes on the M5 highway reportedly targeted civilians fleeing north from the front lines 114 Pro government media reported that HTS withdrew from its defensive positions in and around Ma arat Al Nu man as well as other defensive positions in the southern Idlib countryside handing control over to Ansar al Tawhid part of the Rouse the Believers Operations Room 115 The Deputy Defense Minister of the Syrian Interim Government said that HTS had blocked reinforcements sent by the SNA from areas in northern Aleppo such as Afrin and further alleged that the only SNA factions allowed into Idlib by HTS were the Levant Front Ahrar al Sharqiya and the Lions of the East Army HTS denied the claims 50 On 25 December the Russian Air Force reportedly bombed a military convoy of Ahrar al Sham moving near the town of Kafr Nabl in southern Idlib killing an unknown number of its field commanders and militants citation needed On 26 December ground advancements largely halted and both sides began shelling each other s positions around Ma arrat Al Nu man with casualties reported on both sides Pro government forces began shelling the rebel held towns of Bernan Farwan Barissa and Halban 116 Both government and opposition factions later reported that they paused their field operations in the Idlib region due to poor weather conditions According to a Syrian army source the air force was temporarily grounded because of limited visibility 117 The NFL reportedly planned to launch a counterattack but it was also called off due to poor weather conditions Instead they brought reinforcements to their positions 118 By the end of the month hundreds of SNA fighters two brigades were transferred to Idlib as a result of an agreement with HTS which had previously blocked the entry of SNA combatants 119 The government offensive was condemned by world leaders including United States president Donald Trump who tweeted that Russia Syria and Iran are killing or on their way to killing thousands of innocent civilians in Idlib province 103 By this stage United Nations agencies were reporting that mass evacuations of pro opposition families from front line areas have left behind a landscape of ghost towns 103 Russia Turkey ceasefire Edit According to a Russian major general a ceasefire was agreed with Turkey which supported many of the rebel factions in the area between late December 2019 and early January 2020 the ceasefire was introduced in the Idlib de escalation zone on 9 January 2020 Turkey had sent a delegation to Moscow to establish a new ceasefire in the region 120 Turkey s defense ministry announced that the ceasefire would take effect on 12 January and said that Syrian and Russian land and air attacks would halt at one minute past midnight 121 The ceasefire was set to stem the flow of refugees from Idlib and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region 122 On 11 January 2020 a day before the brokered ceasefire went into effect Ansar al Tawhid released a video of a mechanized attack against government positions in southeastern Idlib using heavy machine guns previously captured from the Syrian army The group also reportedly ambushed a vehicle carrying government officers and successfully captured a position from government forces seizing some small arms in the process 7 Post ceasefire advances Edit Late on 15 January post ceasefire the Syrian Arab Army and its allies resumed offensive actions in southern Idlib in response to a prior series of apparent ceasefire violations by Hayat Tahrir al Sham and other militant groups The Syrian Army captured the villages of Barsah and Nouhiya located west of the Abu al Duhur Military Airbase citation needed On 16 January the Syrian army captured three towns in southeast Idlib after troops stormed the towns of Talkhatra Abu Jurayf and Khirbat Dawud in the morning The three towns were secured following several hours of clashes that killed 22 militants including 16 jihadists according to SOHR HTS and its allies claimed to recapture Abu Jurayf in a counterattack that killed more than ten Syrian troops due to the SAA failing to secure the town after initially storming it On 17 January the rebels captured Tal Musaytif from government forces according to SOHR 123 Russia s defense ministry stated that a major clash had occurred on the evening of 22 January between Turkistan Islamic Party TIP forces backed by 20 cars tanks and two armored vehicles and Syrian government forces The ministry and Syrian state media added that the militants also used attack drones and car bombs and that the assault pushed the SAA out of two settlements in Idlib The clashes reportedly left up to 50 fighters killed and 90 wounded while government forces lost 40 dead and 80 wounded An NFL spokesman said the assault had taken place earlier in the week A Syrian military source was cited as saying army units were redeployed to the area and eventually repelled the attacks with high efficiency 124 However a field source in Hama quoted by pro government media said he was not aware of any significant attack near the front lines and that rebels were mostly using artillery and rockets to strike the SAA s positions in the de escalation zone 125 On the same day the Rouse the Believers Operations Room released photos of captured equipment and also released a photo of a pro government fighter s German identification card The coalition also released video footage of mortar attacks against the government 7 Capture of Ma arrat al Nu man Edit After a short lull and after the Russia Turkey ceasefire failed to materialize the Syrian Arab Army renewed its ground offensive towards Ma arrat al Nu man on 24 January assisted by massive airstrikes Ma arrat al Nu man was of both strategic and symbolic importance due to its location on the strategic Aleppo Damascus highway motorway M5 one of Syria s economic arteries and that it was a major center for anti government protests against Assad s rule since the civil war began in 2011 126 Led by the 4th Armored Division the Syrian army also launched new ground operations on the Aleppo axis on 25 January opening with a massive artillery barrage on rebel defenses in the western Aleppo outskirts spanning from the Al Zahra a Association Quarter to Rashiddeen 3 and 4 suburbs The 4th Division conducted an armored assault on rebel defense lines near the Great Prophet Mosque the local scientific research building and Rashidden 3 suburb but did not make any significant gains 127 Between 24 and 26 January the Syrian army captured eight towns and villages in the Ma arrat al Nu man countryside including Tell Mannas Ghadqa and Maar Shamshah and captured a section of the M5 highway north of the stronghold cutting a major rebel communication and supply line from Idlib According to SOHR by 26 January Russia had conducted 78 airstrikes targeting front lines around Ma arrat al Nu man south of Aleppo and in the western countryside while Syrian helicopters reportedly deployed 52 barrel bombs in rural areas 128 According to opposition activists and paramedics Ma arrat al Nu man was almost empty of its 110 000 civilian residents as a result of the intense government bombardment in prior weeks which displaced hundreds of thousands many of which fled north towards the border with Turkey By the end of 26 January the SAA was less than a kilometer from the city 129 On 27 January heavy clashes continued as government forces reached the eastern northern and southern outskirts of Ma arrat al Nu man nearly encircling it The 25th Special Mission Forces Division reportedly overran rebel defenses on the city s southern flank capturing several towns and villages including Sahyan Kafr Basin and Muqah and capturing the majority of the M5 highway located south of the metro except for the Turkish observation post at Maar Hattat According to SOHR pro government forces were besieging Ma arrat al Nu man from three sides and had captured 22 areas since 24 January SOHR recorded 91 deaths among pro government forces and 112 among the rebels including 89 jihadists since 24 January 130 131 132 On the Aleppo front there were reports in pro government media of an ongoing battle near Khan Tuman between Hayat Tahrir al Sham and the Syrian army assisted by the National Defence Forces NDF The army attempted to capture the village after they seized several hills to its northeast 44 source source source source source source source source The Syrian Armed Forces official statement on the capture of Ma arrat al Nu manOn 28 January the Syrian Arab Army and allies captured Kafr Rumah and the Wadi Deif military base following token rebel resistance Pro government forces subsequently stormed Ma arrat al Nu man from three fronts entering the city and capturing most of its districts after short clashes according to Syrian state media A Syrian military source said HTS and allied rebels mostly withdrew from the stronghold the day before neglecting to defend the city proper besides a small garrison It was the first time Syrian government forces had control of the city since losing it on 10 October 2012 Rebel units subsequently counterattacked pro government forces in the vicinity of the stronghold SOHR said that at least 147 pro government fighters and 151 opposition fighters were killed in the battle 133 126 134 135 The SAA continued to push west of Ma arrat al Nu man reportedly capturing Hantutin 136 Meanwhile the SAA reported it had reached the outskirts of Khan Tuman after capturing the last hills to its east during repeated assaults spearheaded by the Republican Guard s 30th Division 137 On 29 January following the latest army advances the SOHR reported that 57 of the Idlib Governorate remained under rebel control while the other 43 was controlled by government forces It stated that the Syrian Army had managed to capture over 40 kilometers of the M5 highway and only a 25 kilometer stretch held by rebel forces was preventing it from controlling the highway in its entirety It also reported a government advance on the outskirts of Aleppo but stated that it did not hold strategic significance 138 Al Masdar News reported that the Syrian Army had secured Ma arrat al Nu man s flanks and further captured the town of al Harradah 139 An armed rebel group reportedly stormed Idlib Central Hospital occupying it for military purposes for a few hours while Al Shami Hospital in Ariha was reportedly struck by multiple airstrikes 140 Government forces also advanced towards Aleppo s western suburbs to push rebels away from the city 126 The army reported a breakthrough in the Rashideen 5 suburb of Aleppo and advanced toward Rashideen 4 stating this advance was the first major SAA breakthrough on the previously deadlocked Aleppo front 141 A number of Hezbollah fighters were reported killed in this stage of the offensive On 24 January Jaafar al Sadiq a Hezbollah commander was reported killed on 27 January three more fighters deaths in the Aleppo countryside were announced a fifth Hezbollah death in al Zahraa was subsequently announced 142 Army advance towards Saraqib and proposed Turkish deadline Edit On 30 January the Syrian army reached the outskirts of the opposition stronghold of Saraqib north of Ma arrat al Nu man after capturing the towns of Kafr Battikh Tell Mardikh Jobas Qomhane Hatamiyeh and Tell Dibs pushing the front line to just three kilometers away from Saraqib s city center citation needed Later in the day the army advanced further in the southeastern Idlib countryside capturing the al Suater hilltop from Hayat Tahrir al Sham and its allies Turkey s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to take direct military action in Idlib unless the government led offensive ceased 143 On the Aleppo front HTS detonated a remote control car bomb and deployed SVBIEDs followed by rocket and mortar attacks into the northwestern Aleppo outskirts against Syrian government positions opening a new front The HTS linked Ebaa News Agency released footage of HTS inghimasi fighters pledging to wage jihad until death before deploying for Aleppo to attack pro government positions Syrian state media claimed government forces destroyed four SVBIEDs before they reached their destination HTS also claimed to have killed a number of Iranian linked militia fighters in west Aleppo 143 Meanwhile according to pro government sources the remnant Nour al Din al Zenki rebel group operating from Turkish backed opposition held areas in northern Aleppo sent reinforcements to the western Aleppo countryside to help bolster area defenses 144 29 31 January saw sustained bombardments as the government and its allies carried out 200 strikes throughout Idlib Russian airstrikes on Ariha reportedly struck a bakery and a medical facility Civilians displaced from Saraqib and other towns were also reportedly targeted as they fled the war zone 145 146 On 1 February in response to government gains on the ground the Turkish military established three new observation posts around Saraqib 147 On the same day pro government warplanes reportedly targeted al Huda Hospital in the town of Hoor in the western countryside of Aleppo destroying large parts of the building 148 There was an HTS counter offensive in Al Zahraa in Aleppo governorate in which several Local Defense Force LDF pro government militia fighters were reported killed 142 Four Russian FSB officers were reported killed the same day also in the Aleppo countryside 149 On 2 February fighting was reported between HTS and the LDF affiliated Iranian backed Baqir Brigade in the Aleppo countryside in which a Brigade commander Juma al Ahmad was reported killed 142 An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC Quds Force commander Asghar Pashapour was killed the same day in the Aleppo countryside 150 142 151 152 On 3 February Syrian and Turkish forces exchanged fire in Idlib Latakia and the northern Aleppo countryside Turkey and the SOHR reported seven Turkish soldiers one civilian contractor and 13 Syrian soldiers were killed 153 154 155 Turkey said it had carried out retaliation strikes south of Saraqib and witnesses reported artillery shelling and one F16 entering Syrian airspace According to SOHR at least 13 Syrian soldiers were killed with other monitors giving similar numbers while according to the Turkish president 30 35 were killed and according to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar 76 Syrian soldiers were neutralized and 57 Syrian military sites were bombed Russia denied that any airstrikes had occurred at all 156 157 158 and the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria and Syrian Arab News Agency SANA denied Turkish claims of casualties among Syrian troops 159 160 Turkey s president Erdogan described the attack on Turkish forces a turning point in Syria for Turkey He gave the Syrian government a deadline of the end of February to withdraw from the de escalation zone and demanded that Russian forces in Idlib stand aside he nevertheless dismissed the possibility of direct conflict with Russia saying Turkey and Russia would talk about the issue without anger 161 162 Despite the Turkish operations Syrian government forces continued its offensive in the southeastern part of Idlib Governorate and captured the villages of Ballisa Tell Elaghar an abandoned Air Defense base Jadida Tal Khatra Msheirfeh Mardikh and Tell Mardikh on the same day 163 better source needed With this advance the Syrian Army had captured 22 villages and towns including 110 square kilometers of territory citation needed On the same day according to medics and the SOHR government airstrikes targeted civilian IDPs on the road near the village of Kafr Naya in the Aleppo countryside 153 The next day Russian warplanes reportedly struck the Sarmin Health Center leading to the almost complete destruction of the building 148 Siege and capture of Saraqib Edit On 5 February government forces captured around 20 settlements including Resafah and several nearby villages advancing east and north of Saraqib isolating it from three directions 164 165 On 6 February a pro government blog reported that pro government forces seized the area of Duwayr cutting off the M5 highway north of Saraqib and leaving only the road through Sarmin open which itself was under constant fire from the army citation needed Later in the day the 25th Special Mission Forces Division captured the town of Afs citation needed fully encircling Saraqib and all rebel and Turkish forces stationed there including the four recently established Turkish observation posts and entered the city 166 By 7 February after two days of siege government forces took most of the city opening the road towards the city of Idlib 167 Enab Baladi reported that seven Turkish soldiers were killed while Turkey repeated its end of February deadline for the Syrian government to withdraw from the de escalation zone 166 Meanwhile prominent rebel commander Obada Abu Jafar and eight other militants of an elite Ansar al Tawhid unit were killed in fierce clashes with the Syrian Army while defending their positions in southern Idlib according to a pro government blog citation needed On the same day Israeli warplanes fired missiles near Damascus while targeting Iranian elements in the area The Syrian government said Israel intended to save the armed terrorist organisations which ha d been collapsing in Idlib and western Aleppo Governorate in front of the strikes of the Syrian Army 168 Army captures the M5 highway and continued Turkish clashes Edit On 7 February the Syrian army spearheaded by the 25th Special Forces Division and assisted by the Republican Guard and Hezbollah made further advances reportedly capturing the towns of Zaytan Birnah Makhalah and Huwayyir al Eis in the southwestern Aleppo countryside and the towns of Maharim Khawari Tall al Nabariz Ijaz Rasm al Ward and Abbad in southeast Idlib citation needed The 25th Special Forces Division also captured the towns of Karrathin al Dahiriyah and al Thuriyah as well as the Ebla University complex on the administrative border between southeast Idlib and southwest Aleppo by the end of the day citation needed On 8 February the army reportedly captured several sites along the strategic M5 highway as it advanced north of Saraqib Government forces also reportedly crossed the M5 highway and entered the southwestern countryside of the Aleppo Governorate the first time since 2013 from the southern approach 169 On the northern approach the army advanced on the town of Al Eiss capturing the towns of Maryudah Tell Bajir Kusiniya al Shiekh Ahmad Abu Kannseh Umm Atabah Rasm al Eis Rasm al Saharij and Jub Kas in the process citation needed According to pro government activists Al Eiss also hosted a Turkish observation post The army subsequently captured Al Eiss and the nearby hilltop citation needed Pro government forces later captured the town of Tell Hadiyah in the area while on the Idlib front continued their northern advance along the M5 capturing the town of Talhiyah citation needed Meanwhile Russian Turkish talks in Ankara concluded after three hours with no progress made 170 171 On 9 February in Idlib pro government sources said the army captured the towns of Buwaybiyah and al Kusaybiyah as well as the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas ICARDA research center 172 better source needed Army units stormed and captured the towns of Barqum al Zarbah and al Salehiyah along the M5 citation needed On the Aleppo front pro government forces captured the areas of Tal Kalariyah and Kalariyah and advanced on rebel positions in the Rashideen 4 district in west Aleppo 173 On 10 February Syrian government forces shelled a recently built Turkish observation post at Taftanaz Military Airbase killing five Turkish soldiers according to the Turkish Defense Ministry 174 According to the SOHR and other sources six Turkish soldiers and four Syrian rebels were killed in the attack 174 175 170 The attack destroyed military hardware and supplies including trucks APCs and a main battle tank 176 177 The Turkish Ministry of Defense said but did not provide evidence that 115 Syrian army sites and positions were targeted in retaliation including destroying three tanks and two mortar positions and that 101 Syrian soldiers were neutralized 178 Meanwhile the Syrian army moved west from the M5 highway towards the Turkish border led by the 25th Special Mission Forces Division captured the towns of Kafr Halab Meznaz and another town from HTS and the NFL northeast of the ICARDA center according to pro government media 179 in an attempt to split the northern and southern parts of Idlib into separate pockets 170 On the night of 10 11 February there were pro government airstrikes on several towns in Idlib and Aleppo killing at least 13 civilians 180 while a maternity hospital in Atarib was narrowly missed by government bombs and a health facility in Maret al Nasan was destroyed in shelling 181 according to NGOs 182 An IDP camp in Kafr Aruq was also struck killing a child according to the United Nations 183 On 11 February after asserting control over the Rashideen 4 district in western Aleppo and virtually converging the northern and southern front lines in the countryside 184 it was widely reported that government forces controlled the entirety of the M5 highway for the first time since 2012 however this was not claimed by government media and opposition sources said fighting continued in some northern areas 185 186 180 A report on a Russian TV channel showed 25th Special Mission Forces Division troops apparently wearing UNICEF backpacks distributed as relief supplies entering Kafr Halab 187 The Daily Telegraph reported the troops were deliberately shooting elderly civilians there 188 On the same day rebel groups launched a counteroffensive on the town of Nayrab located west of Saraqib and south of Sarmin Turkey claimed that 51 government fighters were killed in the rebel counteroffensive and Turkish backed rebel forces shot down a Syrian Mil Mi 17 helicopter killing all on board 180 58 Rebels were also reported to retake the town of Sheikh Dames 20 miles south of Idlib city 189 Later that day the SAA captured Khan al Asal a key location on the M5 highway 190 191 That night the NGO Action on Armed Violence reported that airstrikes on Idlib city left 12 civilians half of them children dead and 32 injured 192 government airstrikes on Darat Izza narrowly missed a hospital according to another NGO 182 By this point according to Reuters the government had taken 600 square kilometers 230 square miles of territory in the offensive and 700 000 people mostly women and children had been displaced the largest number in a single period since fighting began in 2012 according to the UN while 200 had been killed 180 193 194 195 196 On 12 February Turkey s president Erdogan announced I hereby declare that we will strike regime forces everywhere from now on regardless of the 2018 deal if any tiny bit of harm is dealt to our soldiers at observation posts or elsewhere 197 By this stage Turkey had stationed 30 000 troops at the Syrian border and sent 5 000 reinforcements to Idlib bringing the total to 9 000 as well as establishing new defensive positions around Idlib city 171 170 On 13 February heavy bombardment and ground clashes forced the World Food Programme to pause their on going relief efforts in Idlib with Atareb especially severely affected 198 The town of Takad was shelled by government forces for the first of many times causing residents to flee according to MSF 199 The SAA alongside the auxiliary Local Defense Forces and Liwa al Quds advanced north of Az Zarbah and captured Rif Muhandiseen and Kafr Jum along with several surrounding tactical points on the approach to the strategic Regiment 46 base also known as Base 46 which fell to rebel forces in November 2012 Another army unit reportedly made a push on a separate axis in Aleppo 200 201 202 On 14 February a second Syrian Mil Mi 17 helicopter was shot down with a guided missile near Qubtan al Jabal killing its crew According to an activist the helicopter was shot down after dropping two barrel bombs 59 Between 14 15 February pro government shelling struck IDP camps located around the town of Sarmada according to the UN and MSF 199 183 During 13 16 February the UN reported that 160 000 people fled from advancing front lines mostly from Atareb and Darat Izza sub districts 183 The UN said a total of 100 civilians had been killed in the first two weeks of February by both air and ground based strikes 183 Western Aleppo assault and rebel retreat Edit Following the complete capture of the strategic M5 highway the Syrian army shifted its momentum towards securing Greater Aleppo particularly the city s western outskirts 203 Among opposition settlements targeted by airstrikes in this period were Turmanin al Dana Kabtan al Jabal al Abzimo and Darat Izza 204 On 15 February the army attacked opposition forces in the northern Aleppo countryside in Sheikh Aqil near Darat Izza from Bashmara territory under joint Rojava and SAA control 205 On 16 February pro government forces achieved a major breakthrough on the Aleppo front by capturing more than 30 villages towns and suburbs in the west Aleppo countryside in a single day amidst a sudden collapse in rebel defense lines 206 By the evening government forces backed by continued Russian airstrikes had managed to capture the last remaining rebel held areas in Aleppo s western periphery including towns and cities such as Haritan and Anadan effectively concluding the period of intermittent clashes in the area that began with the Battle of Aleppo over seven years prior 207 Pro government media reported that after having many of their supply lines cut off rebel forces fled west to avoid being encircled by the SAA thus leaving the army in control of the Greater Aleppo area 208 Meanwhile Turkish media reported that a 100 vehicle convoy of reinforcements including troops tanks and other military vehicles and equipment had been deployed to the Idlib area 209 HTS claimed a suicide attack on Russian positions in Kafr Halab 207 On 17 February President Bashar al Assad addressed the nation in a rare televised speech saying the military operations in Aleppo and Idlib governorates would continue regardless of Turkey s threats and that the war was not yet over but it means that we rubbed their noses in the dirt as a prelude for complete victory 210 211 Syrian state media also shared images of Aleppo residents apparently celebrating the recent advances which reportedly pushed rebel mortar teams out of adequate firing range of the city for the first time in years and along with the capture of the M5 was set to facilitate future civilian movement between northern and southern Syria up to pre war levels 212 Meanwhile according to NGOs government forces bombed hospitals in Darat Izza 182 213 214 199 Frontline advances 24 January 19 February 2020On 19 February Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that a Turkish intervention in Idlib was just a matter of time 215 Meanwhile pro opposition NGO Syrian Network for Human Rights SNHR reported a Syrian government airstrike on an IDP camp near Deir Hassan 216 Rebel counteroffensive towards Saraqib begins Edit On 20 February Turkish backed rebels launched another counteroffensive on Nayrab with Turkish artillery support 217 Turkish commandos were also reported to have been operating alongside rebels in the assault on the town 218 Russian planes provided air support to the pro government forces and struck positions of the advancing rebels citation needed Shelling on nearby towns on both the government controlled and opposition controlled sides of the frontline were reported with both Russian and Turkish forces involved in air and artillery support roles respectively 219 During the battle rebel fighters attempted to shoot down a Russian Su 24 using MANPADS while also claiming to have downed two Russian UAVs with MANPADS 220 221 222 After heavy fighting 219 the rebels managed to briefly seize Nayrab However Russian air support allowed pro government forces to eventually repel rebel ground elements and recapture the town 223 224 Russian news agency RIA Novosti said that the Russian Ministry of Defence contacted Turkish forces and asked them to end artillery support to the rebels and that they did so 225 The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that two Turkish soldiers had been killed and five wounded due to an airstrike during the assault 226 while also claiming the Turkish backed rebels killed 50 Syrian government forces during the overall battle for the town 227 The Russian Defence Ministry said Russian elements destroyed one tank six armored vehicles and five other vehicles all belonging to the rebels 228 As well as the two confirmed Turkish deaths 229 the SOHR said that about 28 rebels and 14 pro government soldiers were killed and that some captured Syrian soldiers were beheaded by jihadist fighters 230 Before the clashes Turkey reportedly asked the United States to deploy two Patriot surface to air missile systems on the Syria Turkey border to deter Russian forces 231 232 However the Russian state news agency reported that the Turkish Ministry of Defence had denied this 233 Reuters also reported on going talks between Turkey and Russia about Syrian airspace 234 The same evening Syrian government airstrikes were reported by SNHR on Hazarin striking two schools and nearby Ma aret Harma where a mosque was struck 235 236 On 22 February Turkey reported that a Turkish soldier was killed the sixteenth in the month in a bomb attack by pro Syrian government forces and said it retaliated by destroying 21 government targets Turkey said it would meet with Russian and European leaders in March to discuss the situation 229 Al Ghab plain Zawiya mountains assault rebels recapture Saraqib Edit The Syrian army and allies continued their main ground advance on 23 February in the Zawiya mountains Jabal al Zawiya and al Ghab plain region near the southern Idlib northwestern Hama administrative border During operations Syrian artillery reportedly targeted a Turkish Army column near Bara in which several Turkish soldiers and rebel fighters were injured and forced to withdraw 237 On 24 February the Syrian army reported advances in southern Idlib capturing the towns of al Naqayar Araynabiyah and Sitouh Al Dayr south of Kafrsajna along with nearby Ma ar Taseen Jabla and Maar Tamater as rebels retreated westwards 238 239 There were reports of 10 Turkish soldiers killed and wounded by Russian and Syrian jet strikes on the Turkish post in Kansafra According to the SOHR several Turkish vehicles were destroyed and damaged as well 240 241 Turkish forces responded with rocket shelling on government positions 242 Meanwhile Turkish backed rebels continued their push towards Saraqib SOHR and al Masdar reported that National Front for Liberation and Hayat Tahrir al Sham forces backed by the Turkish military recaptured Nayrab from the SAA after eight hours and three waves of attacks 243 244 while Turkish sources attributed the recapture to NFL saying that the Iranian backed militias and government forces defending the town took many casualties 245 SOHR said that 11 government and loyalist militia fighters and 26 rebels were killed while al Masdar claimed 150 rebels were killed 244 243 On 25 February pro government forces captured Kafr Nabl a symbolically important stronghold for the Syrian opposition 246 while SOHR reported that the Syrian army also took control of Sheikh Dames and Sheikh Mustafa 247 In turn rebel fighters reportedly recaptured the villages of San and Ma arat Alia west of Saraqib 248 Syrian and Turkish clashes continued as Syrian warplanes targeted Turkish forces in Taftanaz Military Airbase northeast of Idlib city with no reports of casualties 249 A Turkish Anka S drone was also shot down in Dadekh east of Idlib 60 SANA reported the aircraft infiltrated Syrian airspace and was intercepted 250 SNHR reported 25 civilians killed by government forces and its allies 251 and 185 civilians were reportedly injured as airstrikes targeted eight schools and two nurseries in rebel held areas throughout Idlib Governorate while two MSF hospitals in Idlib city and Maarrat Misrin sustained damage 252 253 254 255 On 26 February Syrian government forces were reported to have captured 33 towns and villages in Idlib and Hama in the previous 60 hours while a SOHR report said that a Turkish military column on the Bara Kansafra road was targeted by government rockets leaving a vehicle destroyed 256 Two Turkish soldiers were killed according to the Turkish foreign ministry 257 SNHR reported that government artillery struck a hospital in Idlib city 258 and that a total of 126 civilians had been killed by Russian and government forces in the 44 days since the end of the ceasefire on 12 January 259 While government forces made territorial gains in southern Idlib and northern Hama opposition factions with support from Turkish elements had counterattacked on a separate front towards Saraqib and on the dawn of 27 February fully recaptured the strategic city and cut the Damascus Aleppo M5 highway once again 260 261 The counterattack also lifted the encirclement of the four Turkish observation posts established around the city s perimeter 262 Frontlines continued to shift as the Syrian army s southern Idlib assault continued pro government forces captured 20 additional villages in the al Ghab plain and Zawiya mountain region establishing control over southern al Ghab and regaining control of the entirety of Hama Governorate 263 264 Operation Spring Shield Edit Main articles Operation Spring Shield and 2020 Balyun airstrikes On 27 February in a major escalation at around 5 00 p m local pro government airstrikes targeted a Turkish mechanized infantry battalion composed of about 400 soldiers near a post in Balyun in the Zawiya mountains 265 leaving at least 34 soldiers killed and others wounded some seriously 266 267 268 269 Other Turkish and rebel sources indicated 55 to 70 Turkish soldiers killed 266 267 with some local reports as high as 100 270 Several military vehicles were also reported destroyed 271 272 While sources in Idlib and unverified footage of the strike suggested it had been conducted by the Russian air force Russia denied responsibility and Turkey s leadership nevertheless held Syrian government forces responsible 273 274 265 275 Meanwhile Reuters cited witnesses as saying the government resumed airstrikes on residential areas of Idlib city the same evening 276 On 28 February Turkey said it retaliated for the Balyun strikes by striking 200 Syrian government targets and neutralizing 309 soldiers in a dedicated operation throughout Greater Idlib 271 Turkish drone and artillery strikes on Syrian army positions in the east and south of the governorate were reported to have targeted helicopters tanks armoured vehicles howitzers ammunition trucks and ammunition depots 277 In contrast to Turkish numbers the SOHR reported that 34 Syrian soldiers and 14 Hezbollah fighters 10 Lebanese nationals and four of other nationalities including at least one Iranian and an officer of the IRGC were killed by the Turkish counterattack Hezbollah later confirmed eight of the deaths including an Iranian cleric identified as Sayyed Ali Zengani while pro government media also reported Hezbollah deaths 278 279 280 281 282 283 Iranian media also reported the deaths of 21 members of Liwa Fatemiyoun and Liwa Zainebiyoun brigades Afghan and Pakistani Shiite forces supported by Iran in the Turkish operation 284 Turkish forces also bombed defense and scientific research laboratories in the as Safira area of the eastern Aleppo countryside with SAMs 285 and claimed to have targeted the Kuweires and Abu al Duhur military airbases in Aleppo Governorate 286 Russian media reported Turkish ground troops using MANPADS while attempting to shoot down Russian and Syrian warplanes 287 276 Overnight retaliatory Syrian government attacks killed a Turkish soldier and injured six more 288 Amid the sudden escalation the United States expressed support for Turkey and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told media following the North Atlantic Council meeting requested by Turkey to hold consultations under Article 4 of NATO s founding Washington Treaty that NATO continued to support Turkey with a range of measures including by augmenting its air defences 289 Stoltenberg also urged Russia and the Syrian government to stop the indiscriminate air attacks and to engage with UN led peace efforts while the UN expressed concern at the developments 271 289 Turkey further escalated regional tensions when it threatened to open its borders with Europe to allow Syrian refugees to leave prompting Greece and Bulgaria to tighten border security 290 291 The UN Secretary General called for an immediate ceasefire and was backed by 13 UN Security Council members but Russia and China vetoed the measure 292 Russia stepped up naval and airborne deliveries to Syria concerned that Turkey might shut the Bosporus to Russian shipping and Turkish airspace to Russian supply flights 293 On 29 February Turkish backed rebels recaptured several villages in al Ghab plain reversing recent government gains 294 Meanwhile according to SOHR the number of Syrian army soldiers killed by the Turkish retaliation in the past 48 hours rose to 74 In addition at least eight more Hezbollah fighters were killed on 29 February 279 280 281 By the end of February Reuters put the total figure of Turkish soldiers killed at 55 295 No fly zone in Idlib and battle for Saraqib Edit On 1 March Turkey s defence minister Hulusi Akar announced the continuation of Operation Spring Shield which was launched on 27 February 296 297 Turkish F 16Cs shot down two Syrian Su 24M2 jets in the western Idlib countryside 297 60 298 Syrian state run media said that both pilots parachuted and survived 299 On the same day according to Turkey s state owned Anadolu Agency Turkish forces targeted the Nayrab military airport and allegedly rendered it unusable 300 With increased Turkish operations front line ground momentum in the southern Idlib countryside shifted in favor of the Syrian opposition Pro government media reported that rebel forces supported by Turkish elements retook the town of al Amiqiyah with the aim of reversing government gains 301 Pro opposition sources said Turkish backed rebels captured a further seven towns on the Zawiya mountain front 302 while Turkish media reported that nine villages were recaptured by the Syrian National Army in the first 24 hours of the new phase of the operation naming Anqawi al Qahira Al Manara and Tal Zajran villages in the Hama countryside and Al Halluba Qoqfin Kafr Avid Sfuhan and Fattara in southern Idlib destroying at least three SAA tanks and killing at least 46 government soldiers 303 Reportedly dozens of Turkish ANKA S and Bayraktar TB2 drones attacked government targets and destroyed 304 several Russian made air defence systems and according to Turkey targets included chemical weapons depots although SOHR rejected that claim 305 283 306 60 In response Syria said it had shot down three Turkish drones 297 Images on social media showed a Turkish TAI Anka drone shot down by Syrian Air Defenses 307 and Turkey confirmed one drone was hit 305 On the same day Syria said it was closing its northwestern airspace and warned it would target any hostile aircraft 297 308 The Chief of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria said that the Russian task force in Syria could not guarantee the safety of Turkish aircraft s flights over Syria 309 Despite this Turkey claimed to have attacked Nayrab airport west of Aleppo city and bombed Kuweires airport east of Nayrab marking a significant expansion of Ankara s targets according to Reuters 297 299 310 SOHR reported 19 pro government fighters were killed in strikes on a military convoy in the Zawiya mountain area and a base near Ma arrat al Nu man 311 Turkey claimed that 2 212 pro government combatants had been neutralized i e killed wounded or captured since the resumption of Operation Spring Shield while SOHR said that 74 Syrian army troops and pro government fighters had been killed since 27 February other monitors put the figure at around 150 297 312 298 Meanwhile in Beirut thousands of mourners attended the burial of five of the Hezbollah fighters killed in Idlib on 28 February 313 314 while pro government sources reported that Hezbollah was reinforcing Syrian troops on the Saraqib front and was reportedly approaching Nayrab 315 316 317 298 On 2 March opposition factions continued their counterattack in the strategically important al Ghab Zawiya mountain front while government forces simultaneously counterattacked on the Saraqib front further north SOHR and the Syrian government reported that backed by continued Russian air strikes the SAA had recaptured parts of Saraqib 318 319 320 In the late afternoon Russia s Reconciliation Centre in Syria announced that Russian Military Police had been deployed to Saraqib 321 while the SNA claimed that Russian regular forces and mercenaries were part of the operation in the eastern part of the town 322 Russia claimed the military police s task was to establish effectively a humanitarian corridor for civilians by securing safe passage of vehicles and civilians traveling along the M4 and M5 highways this was notable since Russia had reduced its overall activities in Syria apart from defending its own assets after Erdogan and Vladimir Putin contacted each other on 28 February 323 However opposition sources told Reuters that clashes continued in western parts of the town and the SNA said it had prevented Russian Military Police from entering SOHR said rebels were trying to regain control while Al Jazeera reported that rebels were in control of the western part of the city while government control was limited to the eastern industrial zone 324 325 326 327 The same day SOHR and Al Masdar reported that the Syrian Army launched a counterattack against the rebel advance in southern Idlib recapturing the town of Hazarin and several other locations in the Zawiya mountains which overlooks the M4 highway 328 329 but Turkish sources said the towns were captured by the SNA from government troops and Iranian backed militias and that fighting continued in Saraqib 330 331 Heavy fighting involving the SNA and pro government forces was also reported in Kafr Nabl 323 326 322 Turkish sources reported that three more villages were retaken by the opposition in Idlib making a total of 12 in the Turkish backed offensive 332 The SOHR reported fatalities in the ranks of Turkish soldiers as a result of Syrian government shelling on Turkish positions in Sarmin Ambulances were reported to have been moving towards the Bab al Hawa Border Crossing 333 A Bulgarian defense blog BulgarianMilitary com citing Israeli and Russian online sources reported that a Turkish rejection of an Iranian demand to cease operations in Syria led to Iranian backed forces on the front lines launching a ballistic missile at Turkish troops on the country s border which was destroyed by Turkish air defenses 334 Turkish forces also asserted that the missile had been intercepted 335 Meanwhile the U S government continued to express some support for Turkey saying it would provide ammunition and aid and was examining a request for air defenses 336 337 On 3 March Syrian forces launched artillery strikes on Turkish forces located at Taftanaz airport killing one Turkish soldier and leaving three wounded according to the SOHR 338 A Turkish fighter jet downed a Syrian Aero L 39 Albatros over Idlib the pilot of the aircraft managed to eject and Syrian Army units immediately began a ground search to rescue him 73 60 Rebel forces stated that they had found the pilot s dead body 339 while the Syrian Army later stated that they had recovered the pilot in good health after conducting a CSAR operation 2 kilometers behind rebel lines 340 In turn SANA released footage of a crashed Turkish Bayraktar drone 341 that they said had been shot down that day by government forces 342 On the ground the Syrian Army secured Saraqib 343 344 and captured several surrounding villages after pushing back rebel forces supported by Turkish artillery and air power The previous day s clashes led to the deaths of 75 rebel and 40 pro government fighters according to SOHR and Al Masdar while Turkish airstrikes on government targets had reduced significantly amidst a further government advance toward the town of Afis 345 346 Turkish sources however reported continued fighting on the M4 M5 intersection near Saraqib 347 Turkish sources also reported opposition advances in the Zawiya mountains 347 BulgarianMilitary com cited pro government social media reports of a Turkish attack on Syrian Army positions in retaliation for pro government forces bombing Turkish positions in rebel held al Tarnaba and al Mastumah near Nayrab west of Saraqib with over 60 missiles including OTR 21 Tochka TBMs 348 According to SOHR four Turkish soldiers were killed and seven wounded 349 while BulgarianMilitary com reported that the attack killed 12 and injured eight Turkish soldiers 348 On 4 March opposition sources reported that Turkish backed rebels launched a renewed attack on Saraqib and that Turkish drone strikes in support of the operation killed at least nine pro government fighters 350 351 In turn the Turkish Defense Ministry said that two Turkish soldiers were killed and six others were wounded by attacks from Syrian forces 352 353 Turkish media reported Iran sent reinforcements to front lines 2 000 members of its proxy militias and IRGC Quds Force elements to Saraqib and 200 Liwa Fatemiyoun Brigade vehicles to Ma arrat al Nu man supported by Russian aerial cover 354 Opposition sources also reported SNA gains in Western Aleppo 351 Meanwhile Russia claimed opposition elements injured themselves while attempting to deploy chemical weapons in Saraqib 355 On the morning of 5 March opposition sources and The Independent reported a major Russian airstrike on an IDP camp near Maarrat Misrin killing at least 15 356 357 358 359 Opposition sources reported government and Iranian militia artillery strikes on Saraqib Kafr Nabl al Futayra and Kafr Oweid and Russian air raids on villages in the Zawiya mountains the sources also reported that NFL fighters inflicted casualties on pro government fighters in southern Idlib and western Hama 360 The Turkish military updated its figures for Syrian Army losses due to Turkish operations to 3 138 soldiers and militia killed plus the following materiel losses 3 fighter jets 8 helicopters 3 UAVs 151 tanks 47 howitzers 52 launchers 12 antitank weapons 4 mortars 10 arsenal depots and 145 military technical and combat vehicles 361 By 8 March Lost Armor s database had posted images of 65 destroyed armored vehicles belonging to the SAA since 14 January 2019 These included 17 self propelled guns 15 infantry fighting vehicles 13 main battle tanks 2 armored reconnaissance vehicles 1 MRAP and 17 others In turn Turkish losses included 3 M60 main battle tanks and 2 APCs destroyed rebels lost 4 main battle tanks 7 IFVs 3 APCs and 1 self propelled gun 362 Second Russia Turkey ceasefire Edit On 5 March 2020 the presidents of Turkey and Russia Erdogan and Putin met in Moscow for high level talks 363 According to the statements made by the Turkish and Russian leaders following their one on one meeting a ceasefire in the area of Idlib was to come into force from 00 00 hrs on 6 March 82 The terms of the ceasefire included a secure corridor 6 kilometers either side of the M4 highway to be patrolled jointly by Russia and Turkey beginning on 15 March 364 365 There were reports of Russian and Syrian bombardments continuing after the ceasefire came into effect with activists noting artillery shelling from the government military camp at Jurin targeting Al Ziyarah from Ma arrat al Nu man targeting Bara and from Saraqib targeting Sarmin Turkish media reported a total of 15 violations in the first day However the next day the ceasefire was reported to have largely held apart from engagements between Syrian government forces and non Turkish backed rebel jihadists taking place in the Zawiya mountain area which left nine fighters of the Turkistan Islamic Party and six government troops dead 364 366 367 368 369 On 7 March the fragile truce remained largely in force Turkey said there were no ceasefire violations although Russia reported several cases of militant gunfire in Idlib Aleppo and Latakia governorates 364 370 371 On 8 March after heavy shelling in violation of the ceasefire Syrian Army forces captured the villages of Ma arat Muqas and al Burayi near Kafr Nabl in an uncontested attack but later retreated apparently under pressure from Russia 372 373 374 Opposition sources reported hundreds of Turkish reinforcements with 100 tanks entering Idlib the same day 375 Opposition activists reported that the Syrian military shelled the village of al Mastouma near a Turkish observation point on 9 March 376 Turkey described this as a small violation of the ceasefire 377 A Russian military delegation visited Ankara on 10 March to discuss implementation of the security corridor 377 By 11 March Turkey was reporting multiple small violations of the ceasefire and vowed to respond heavily if their military posts in Idlib came under attack 378 On 12 March in an apparent ceasefire violation SOHR reported that the SAA and allies entered the settlements of Maarrat Mukhas and al Burayj in southern Idlib without any resistance Government forces reportedly advanced into the same areas on 7 March before withdrawing due to heavy shelling by opposition factions 379 Aftermath and Russian Turkish joint patrols EditFurther information Insurgency in Idlib and 2020 Kafr Takharim airstrike On 15 March 2020 Turkish and Russian troops began joint patrols on the M4 highway as a part of the ceasefire agreement between Turkey and Russia 380 On 18 March Turkish troops entered the de escalation zone to reopen the M4 highway previously blocked by Hayat Tahrir al Sham and jihadist factions 381 On 19 March two Turkish soldiers were killed and a third was wounded by an attack carried out by radical groups in Idlib according to the Turkish Ministry of Defense 382 383 On 2 April 2020 the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported sporadic clashes in the de escalation zone and suspended Syrian Government and Russian Air Force activity as part of the ceasefire as it entered the 28th consecutive day 384 After a period of calm the Syrian government and Turkey both sent reinforcements to the area in late May and early June There were numerous ceasefire violations and Syrian government ground bombardment recommenced in late May and several Russian airstrikes were conducted on the borders of Hama Latakia and Idlib provinces on 3 June reportedly displacing hundreds of people 385 A Turkish armoured ambulance was struck by unknown belligerents on 5 June 386 Russian air raids continued on 8 June targeting Jabal al Zawiya Zawiya Mountain southern Idlib and towns in Sahl al Ghab Al Ghab Plain killing two civilians 387 See also Idlib Governorate clashes June 2020 Hurras al Din and other al Qaeda affiliated jihadi groups formed an operations room Be Steadfast to co ordinate their efforts against the government and challenge HTS domination of the area 388 Humanitarian consequences EditThe offensive was characterised by indiscriminate aerial bombing and shelling of civilian homes mainly either by Russian planes taking off from the Russian base in Latakia or by government jets flying from Kuweires Military Aviation Institute 18 miles east of Aleppo 204 On 23 December 2019 the United Nations stated that the renewed fighting that started on 18 December had caused an exodus of 80 000 people across Idlib Governorate 389 According to SOHR in the week up to 24 December 100 000 people were displaced because of the fighting as well as Syrian and Russian bombing 390 More than 235 000 civilians were displaced as of 27 December 2019 per the United Nations 391 By 5 February 2020 300 civilians had been killed in the fighting including 49 in the first five days of February and 520 000 were displaced 80 of the latter women and children according to the UN and various NGOs 164 167 By 10 February 2020 the number of displaced civilians had reached 689 000 77 The humanitarian impact of the fighting was made more severe by extreme cold weather with Save the Children the International Rescue Committee and the International Organisation on Migration reporting that many children were dying due to sub zero temperatures 392 196 393 By 14 February 10 Canadian aid organisations reported that 142 000 people had fled their homes in the past five days alone including 6 500 children a day bringing the total number of people displaced to over 800 000 since December 394 By 17 February the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that the Northwestern Syria offensive since December has displaced 900 000 people 395 396 397 By late February estimates had risen to 950 000 398 399 400 401 By early March estimates had risen to 980 000 74 75 According to the UN 82 000 displaced people were living in the freezing open air in February 36 of newly displaced families are housed by relatives or find rental accommodation 17 found refuge in camps over 15 sought shelter in unfinished buildings and 12 are still looking for shelter 402 Many of the displaced have been forced to move multiple times 204 Some of the displaced people have escaped to Syrian Democratic Forces controlled Manbij 403 Hospitals have been heavily targeted in the fighting 404 Some 70 hospitals were bombed out of action 204 405 On 12 February Islamic Relief reported that 15 medical facilities it supported had been damaged or fully destroyed at least 55 sites where they distributed food recorded 428 nearby airstrikes near these locations and 90 of staff in Idlib had been forcibly displaced 406 Schools have also been targeted On 25 February Amnesty International condemned the shelling of ten schools in Idlib and Aleppo countryside describing it as a war crime 407 After the 25 February attack all schools in Idlib were suspended 358 In July a UN investigation said war crimes and possible crimes against humanity were committed during the campaign The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic said people suffered incomprehensible misery It recorded assaults by all sides in the conflict that resulted in civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure It found shelled schools market bombings and hospitals bombed 408 Reactions EditSupranational Edit United Nations Spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville asked if Syria and Russia were deliberately targeting civilians and protected buildings and said The sheer quantity of attacks on hospitals medical facilities and schools would suggest they cannot all be accidental 214 United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Entire families some who have fled from one corner of Syria to the other over the course of the past decade are tragically finding that bombs are part of their everyday life How can anyone justify carrying out such indiscriminate and inhumane attacks 409 European Union The European Union condemned the offensive in Idlib and warned of a looming humanitarian disaster The EU also urged all sides to adhere to international law allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need and vowed to deliver aid to civilians in Idlib 410 Arab League The Arab League called for an immediate armistice in Idlib The regional organization labeled the offensive a blatant violation of international law causing a humanitarian disaster for Syrians 411 National Edit Italy On 25 December 2019 Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio while speaking about his country s desire to establish a ceasefire in Libya s ongoing civil war said that the situations in Libya and Syria were similar 412 House of Representatives On 2 March 2020 the Syrian government announced that the Libyan Embassy in Damascus could be reopened after 8 years shutdown the interim government based in Libya s Tobruk signed a memorandum of understanding with Syrian Government officials to re open its diplomatic missions and confront Turkish interference 413 414 Turkey On 31 January 2020 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the Syrian government to end its offensive in Idlib and has threatened military action unless it does so 143 On 4 March 2020 during a speech by an opposition Parliament member who accused President Erdogan of disrespecting Turkish soldiers who died in Syria and the military intervention a brawl took place dozens of parliamentarians traded punches while others tried to stop the fighting 415 416 United Arab Emirates On the UAE s 48th National Day 2 December 2019 an Emirati official at the UAE embassy in Damascus praised the Syrian government s actions and said that Syria s president Bashar al Assad was acting wisely 417 United States On 26 December 2019 United States president Donald Trump warned via Twitter that Russia Syria and Iran are killing or on their way to killing thousands of innocent civilians in Idlib Province and added that Turkey is working hard to stop this carnage 418 US Ambassador to Syria James Jeffrey has warned that the offensive would create a humanitarian crisis 143 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned Russia Iran Hezbollah and the Syrian government s actions in Idlib and said that they were intentionally preventing the implementation of a cease fire in northern Syria 419 420 China China s United Nations Ambassador Zhang Jun said on 28 January 2020 that terrorism is an underlying factor in the conflict and eradicating the forces of terror is a necessary requirement for the restoration of peace and stability in Syria and the region Terrorists should be resolutely crushed and safe havens established by terrorist forces in Syria should be liquidated At the same time counter terrorism operations should be cautious not to harm civilians 292 Local Edit Hayat Tahrir al Sham In response to 19 December offensive Hayat Tahrir al Sham leader Abu Mohammad al Julani said in a video statement that the offensive would negatively affect regional stability and the lives of people throughout the region namely the Levant Turkey Saudi Arabia Yemen Iraq and the Persian Gulf He also said that HTS has achieved many of its goals in Syria such as weakening the state of the Syrian military and the Syrian economy he criticized Russia s role in supporting the Syrian government as an attempt to restore the level of influence Russia had during the Soviet era 421 Notes Edit As can be seen in a photo collection of this article by the Long War Journal one of pro government fighters killed during this offensive belonged to the Forces of the Fighters of the Tribes The militia s emblem can be seen on his photo Turkish losses presented do not include early claims of 50 100 dead in the February 2020 Balyun airstrikes 1 2 3 4 Instead they include 34 soldiers killed in the airstrike confirmed by Turkey 5 References Edit a b c Joe Truzman 14 February 2020 IRGC trained militias suffer losses in northwest Syria Long War Journal Retrieved 17 February 2020 a b c Funeral Held for Hezbollah Field Commander Killed in Idleb ZAMAN AL WASL Syrian Observer 27 January 2020 Retrieved 7 February 2020 Haboush Joseph 2 February 2020 Three Hizbollah fighters die in Idlib in latest sign of Iran s involvement in Syria The Telegraph Retrieved 28 February 2020 Putin and Erdogan meet in Istanbul amid ongoing battles in Syria s Idlib 8 January 2020 Idlib The opposition is confusing and the Army of Glory is entering the battle a b Joanna Paraszczuk 4 March 2020 Small Russian factions continue to play key specialised role in opposition offensives in Syria s Idlib Jane s Retrieved 4 May 2020 a b c d e f Caleb Weiss Joe Truzman 27 January 2020 Incite the Believers continues to fight Assad regime in southern Idlib Long War Journal Retrieved 6 February 2020 a b c d Soleimani aide killed in Syria Middle East Monitor 4 February 2020 Retrieved 5 February 2020 Graham Harrison Emma Akoush Hussein 27 December 2019 More than 235 000 people have fled Idlib region in Syrmia says UN theguardian com More than 235 000 displaced by latest assault on Syria s Idlib says UN France 24 27 December 2019 a b Gurcan Metin 30 December 2019 Turkish troops in Syria threatened at Idlib outposts Al Monitor Syria war Government will pay heavy price for attacking Turkish troops BBC News 11 February 2020 Turkey threatens to hit Syrian radicals who do not abide by ceasefire France 24 14 February 2020 Gumrukcu Tuvan 6 March 2020 Ceasefire in Syria s Idlib comes at a cost for Turkey s Erdogan Reuters Retrieved 19 March 2020 Map Latest Military Situation in Northwest Syria IWN 4 March 2020 a b Military escalation in De escalation zone 51 days on 1 200 000 people displaced 2 640 killed 276 areas fall to regime forces The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 5 March 2020 With Cease Fire in Place Syrians Return for Belongings but Not to Stay The New York Times 16 March 2020 Retrieved 19 March 2020 18 days of military operations in Aleppo and Idlib 1060 regime soldiers Turks rebels and jihadis killed regime forces control the strategic M5 and capture 162 areas The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 12 February 2020 بغطاء ناري مكثف قوات النظام تتقدم بضواحي مدينة حلب وتسيطر على بلدة وتلة استراتيجية 16 February 2020 Turkey Russia Patrols Start Amid Protests on Syrian Highway The New York Times 15 March 2020 Retrieved 19 March 2020 Gurcan Metin 18 March 2020 Turkey s geostrategic orientation at crossroads amid Idlib tangle Al Monitor Retrieved 19 March 2020 بهجوم معاكس الفصائل تستعيد السيطرة بلدة كفرعويد وأكثر من 200 ضربة جوية تستهدف منطقة بوتين أردوغان SOHR 27 February 2020 Regime forces advance rapidly in west and north west of Aleppo amid ongoing and intensive aerial bombardment SOHR Prominent Syrian Army commander makes appearance in southeast Idlib video al Masdar News 22 December 2019 Archived from the original on 25 December 2019 Retrieved 7 February 2020 a b c Armed Opposition Thwarts Iranian Attack East of Idleb ZAMAN AL WASL Syrian Observer 13 December 2019 Retrieved 7 February 2020 Syrian regime commander reportedly killed in Turkish drone strike in Aleppo Rudaw 28 February 2020 Retrieved 29 February 2020 a b Turkish combat drones kill 3 Assad regime generals in Idlib Daily Sabah 1 March 2020 Retrieved 1 March 2020 a b c d 24 members of Syrian government forces including colonel were killed in Idlib Enab Baladi Enab Baladi 29 December 2019 Retrieved 3 March 2020 a b c d e f g Joe Truzman 5 February 2020 Hezbollah and Iranian backed militias suffer heavy losses fighting in Syria Long War Journal Retrieved 9 February 2020 A prominent Tahrir al Sham commander killed in southern Idlib Islamic World News a b Idlib Post Pictures of the visit of the President of the Syrian National Coalition Anas al Abda the head of the Syrian Interim Government Abdul Rahman Mustafa and the Minister of Defense of the Syrian Interim Government Salim Idris to the fronts of Idlib Governorate a b c d e f g Syrian National Army establishes 2 operating rooms to reinforce Idlib and Aleppo fronts to repel the Russian aggression photos and videos Nedaa Syria 31 January 2020 Archived from the original on 17 February 2020 Retrieved 17 February 2020 Turkey Russia face off in Syria as fighting escalates plane shot down Reuters 3 March 2020 Turkish losses rise in dangerous escalation over Syria s Idlib Al Monitor 27 February 2020 A former leader in the opposition warns of a second phase of the Idlib battles 23 August 2019 The second battle of Idlib a maneuver by the regime to implement Sochi a b Fehim Tastekin 16 February 2020 Is Turkey planning to curb radicals in Idlib under strategy shift Monitor Retrieved 3 March 2020 Bahar Kalkani Harekati ni Korgeneral Sinan Yayla yurutecek 2 March 2020 a b Syrian Army s death toll after two days of battle in southeast Idlib rises to 40 Al Masdar News 21 December 2019 Archived from the original on 23 December 2019 Retrieved 22 December 2019 a b c d e f Mais Hamad 29 January 2020 Aleppo is living nightmare of future battle Enab Baladi Retrieved 5 February 2020 a b Aymenn Jawad Al Tamimi 18 March 2021 The Qamr Bani Hashim Division Retrieved 20 June 2021 Al Tamimi Aymenn Jawad February 2020 The Life of Farid Khattab of the 313 Force Aymenn Jawad Al Tamimi Aymenn Jawad Al Tamimi 9 February 2020 The Special Assignments Battalion Local Defence Forces Unit Retrieved 3 March 2020 a b Syrian Army attempts to capture strategic town along Aleppo Idlib Highway Al Masdar News 27 January 2020 Archived from the original on 23 October 2021 Retrieved 27 January 2020 Map Militant forces in Idlib buckle under huge Syrian Army assault 20 December 2019 a b Palestinian Group Engaged in Pro Govt Battles in Syria s Idlib Province Action Group for Palestinians of Syria 30 December 2019 Retrieved 6 February 2020 Four FSB special forces officers reportedly killed in Syria Meduza a b c d e Zulfiqar Ali 18 February 2020 Syria Who s in control of Idlib BBC Retrieved 3 March 2020 a b Aymenn Jawad Al Tamimi 26 February 2020 Malhama Tactical Interview Retrieved 3 March 2020 a b c d e HTS denies claims it is preventing military reinforcement from reaching Idlib Enab Baladi 25 December 2019 Bilal Abdul Kareem 29 February 2020 Battle for Idlib On the frontline with the fighters resisting Assad s assault Middle East Eye Retrieved 3 March 2020 a b Turkey tests limits of Moscow Damascus alliance Al Monitor 21 February 2020 Retrieved 29 February 2020 Turkish losses rise in dangerous escalation over Syria s Idlib Al Monitor 27 February 2020 Retrieved 29 February 2020 Harun al Aswad 29 February 2020 Rebels vow to retake Kafranbel Syria s revolutionary stronghold Middle East Eye Retrieved 3 March 2020 150 Turkish military vehicles enter Syria as calm prevails the de escalation zone The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 6 March 2020 Gumrukcu Tuvan 6 March 2020 Ceasefire in Syria s Idlib comes at a cost for Turkey s Erdogan Reuters via www reuters com a b 383 soldiers and 357 rebels killed 19 Dec 23 Jan 6 7 1 129 rebels and 1 098 soldiers killed 15 Jan 5 March 8 9 rebels and 6 soldiers killed 6 March 9 1 rebel killed 10 March 10 total of 1 496 rebels and 1 487 pro government soldiers reported killed 38 of the soldiers were non Syrian 11 12 a b Turkey backed Rebels Down Syrian Army Helicopter as Fighting Escalates Haaretz Associated Press 11 February 2020 a b Syrian rebels shoot down second government helicopter in a week Middle East Eye Retrieved 14 February 2020 a b c d e Karnozov Vladimir 2 March 2020 Fighter bombers and Anka UAVs Downed as Turkey and Syria Exchange Blows Aviation International News Retrieved 9 March 2020 Turkey shoots down two Syrian government warplanes over Idlib Al Jazeera 1 March 2020 Reuters Staff 3 March 2020 Turkey says Syrian government warplane shot down Reuters via www reuters com a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a author has generic name help Iran Buries 21 Afghan Pakistani Proxy Fighters Killed In Syria RFE RL March 2020 Turkish drones kill 19 regime soldiers the death toll of regime forces and loyalists rises to 93 in less than 72 hours The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 1 March 2020 72 hours of violent escalation four Russian soldiers and 125 regime soldiers fighters and jihadies killed in military operations in Idlib and Aleppo while nearly 1 800 strikes kill and injure over 140 civilians SOHR 18 January 2020 Jihadists kill 4 Russian soldiers in western Aleppo Archived 11 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine Al MasdarFour FSB special forces officers reportedly killed in Syria Meduza Quds Force special operation commander killed in Aleppo Al Masdar News 3 February 2020 Archived from the original on 26 February 2020 Retrieved 3 February 2020 Turkish drones and artillery resume targeting regime s military vehicles and positions in Idlib countryside The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 3 March 2020 The Turkish president confirmed 59 were killed 13 including 1 civilian contractor 14 bringing the total to 58 soldiers killed Separately the SOHR reported 73 killed 15 16 including 1 civilian contractor 17 bringing the total to 72 soldiers killed 1 TAI Anka S 26 February 18 Archived 11 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine 19 Archived 11 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine 1 Bayraktar TB2 February 2020 20 Archived 2 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine 21 1 TAI Anka S 1 March 22 23 1 Bayraktar TB2 3 March 24 25 1 Bayraktar TB2 4 March 26 Archived 26 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine Ripley Tim Weekly London Jane s Defence 6 March 2020 Turkish UAVs played leading role in Idlib battle Jane s 360 Retrieved 9 March 2020 Deeb Sarah El 14 February 2020 Syrian refugees run out of room in final opposition enclave SFChronicle com Retrieved 12 March 2020 a b Syrian pilot killed as Turkey downs warplane monitor France 24 3 March 2020 Retrieved 12 March 2020 a b Gumrukcu Tuvan 3 March 2020 Relief operations in Syria s Idlib overwhelmed U N official U K Retrieved 12 March 2020 a b 4 March 2020 The Refugee Brief The Refugee Brief 4 March 2020 Retrieved 12 March 2020 After 9 days of bloody clashes Hayyaat Tahrir al Sham with the jihadi factions control about 80 of the area of what is left for the opposition factions within Syrian territory syriahr com 9 January 2020 a b Nearly 700 000 Displaced in NW Syria as Regime Fire Spikes Asharq AL awsat Russian Syrian Regime Forces Step Up Attacks on Rebel Stronghold Idlib Voice of America 8 December 2019 Turkey bolsters Idlib outposts as Syrian gov t forces make gains Al Jazeera 7 February 2020 Retrieved 19 March 2020 Syrian Attacks Draw Turkey Deeper Into Syrian War The New York Times 12 February 2020 Retrieved 19 March 2020 Turkey launches Operation Spring Shield Hurriyet Daily News 2 March 2020 Retrieved 5 March 2020 a b Soldatkin Vladimir 6 March 2020 Russia Turkey agree ceasefire deal for Syria s Idlib Reuters Retrieved 19 March 2020 a b A shameful response to the tragedy in Idlib Financial Times 20 February 2020 Retrieved 28 February 2020 Turkey designates Syria s Tahrir al Sham as terrorist group Reuters 31 August 2018 via uk reuters com Turkey designates Syria s Tahrir al Sham as terrorist group Reuters 31 August 2018 via uk reuters com Full text of Turkey Russia agreement on northeast Syria www aljazeera com Syria Idlib IDP camp hit by deadly missile attack Al Jazeera Al Jazeera Media Network 21 November 2019 Retrieved 24 November 2019 McKernan Bethan 21 November 2019 Syrian regime targets hospital and refugee camp killing at least 22 The Guardian Guardian News amp Media Limited Retrieved 24 November 2019 Ortagus Morgan 21 November 2019 Attack on al Qah IDP Camp in Northern Syria U S Department of State United States Government Retrieved 24 November 2019 Syrian troops capture village from insurgents in Idlib AP NEWS 24 November 2019 Middle East Arab News amp Opinion Asharq AL awsat 25 November 2019 Retrieved 25 March 2020 Teroristi se razbezali raspao se front Asadove snage nezaustavljivo jure na Marat al Numan MAPA Alo شبكة بلدي الإعلامية baladi news com permanent dead link الشامية محرر الدرر 29 November 2019 تحرير الشام تحبط هجومين لقوات الأسد وميليشيات إيران على محور الكبينة باللاذقية خلال 24 ساعة الدرر الشامية Desk News 30 November 2019 Jihadist rebels score big advance in southeast Idlib after launching new offensive Al Masdar News Archived from the original on 27 December 2019 Retrieved 1 December 2019 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a first has generic name help Syrian army rejects terrorist offensive southeast of Idleb Prensa Latina Cuba As clashes continue in Idlib fronts 5 members of the regime forces killed including an officer The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 4 December 2019 SAA control military base east of Umm Al Tinah Idlib Governorate Map of Syrian Civil War Syria news and incidents today syria liveuamap com Desk News 9 December 2019 Syrian Army launches heavy attack across southern Idlib al Masdar Archived from the original on 11 December 2019 Retrieved 19 December 2019 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a first has generic name help Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic 28 January 2020 Jihadist forces launched large attack against Syrian Army troops Russian military Al Masdar News 18 December 2019 Archived from the original on 17 April 2020 Retrieved 24 December 2019 Deadly Russian bombardment of Idlib is response to opposition rejection of land grab proposal The New Arab 18 December 2019 a b c As Syria s army advances into Idlib a mass exodus is underway Los Angeles Times 26 December 2019 Retrieved 3 March 2020 Breaking Syrian Army kicks off 2nd phase of Idlib offensive Al Masdar News 19 December 2019 Archived from the original on 9 February 2020 Retrieved 20 December 2019 The New Arab amp 19 December 2019 Russian and Syrian regime airstrikes continue to hit Idlib alaraby Retrieved 3 March 2020 Tens of thousands of civilians flee renewed Syria violence News24 21 December 2019 Retrieved 3 March 2020 Several Syrian soldiers killed in ambush by Turkish backed militants in northeast Latakia Al Masdar News 21 December 2019 Archived from the original on 24 December 2019 Retrieved 24 December 2019 Syrian Army s death toll after two days of battle in southeast Idlib rises to 40 Al Masdar News 21 December 2019 Archived from the original on 23 December 2019 Retrieved 22 December 2019 After besieging the Turkish point in Morek months ago the regime forces almost besiege the Turkish point in al Sarman and control areas in the Maarrat al Nu man countryside The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 22 December 2019 Syria regime forces surround Turkish army post in Idlib France 24 23 December 2019 Regime forces go deep in Jarjanaz town s neighborhoods and get closer to Maarrat al Nu man city less than 9 km away of it The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 23 December 2019 Russian backed Syrian forces close in on major city in rebel held Idlib Reuters 24 December 2019 Opposition factions and jihadis continue counterattack in Maarrat Al Nu man countryside recovering more areas hours after regime had advanced into them SOHR 24 December 2019 McKernan Bethan Akoush Hussein 24 December 2019 Thousands flee north west Syria amid fierce assault by Assad the Guardian Retrieved 3 March 2020 Al Qaeda linked jihadist group enters battle in southeast Idlib Al Masdar News 24 December 2019 Archived from the original on 10 February 2020 Retrieved 28 January 2020 Regime forces unleash new attack on Bernan and Farawan renewing the fierce battles in both eastern and south eastern countryside The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 26 December 2019 Desk News 31 December 2019 Syrian Army pauses Idlib offensive as poor weather conditions ground air force Al Masdar Archived from the original on 11 February 2020 Retrieved 11 January 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a first has generic name help Graham Harrison Emma Akoush Hussein 27 December 2019 More than 235 000 people have fled Idlib region in Syria says UN The Guardian The New Arab 31 December 2019 Hundreds of Turkish backed Syrian fighters arrive in Idlib to halt regime advance alaraby Retrieved 4 March 2020 Russia says ceasefire established in Syria s Idlib TASS Reuters 9 January 2020 Turkey Russia agree to ceasefire in war torn Idlib Syria CBC News Russia announces ceasefire deal with Turkey in Syria s Idlib aljazeera com Opposition factions and jihadis attack regime positions east of Saraqib capturing a new village SOHR 17 January 2020 Syria war Jihadist assault kills dozens of soldiers BBC 23 January 2020 Russia claims 40 Syrian soldiers killed in jihadist attack Al Masdar News 23 January 2020 Archived from the original on 28 February 2020 Retrieved 23 January 2020 a b c McKernan Bethan 28 January 2020 Assad regime captures town in Syria s last rebel held territory the Guardian Retrieved 20 February 2020 Syrian Army kicks off long awaited offensive in western Aleppo Al Masdar News 26 January 2020 Retrieved 28 January 2020 Regime forces block the international highway M5 capturing eight towns in less than 48 hours and nearly 190 airstrikes on Putin Erdogan area SOHR 26 January 2020 Syrian troops reach outskirts of key rebel held town Associated Press 26 January 2020 Retrieved 27 January 2020 The regime continues to advance in Idlib and casualties of the Fatimiyoun militia in Deir Ezzor Baladi News 27 January 2020 Syrian Army seizes 3 more towns in Idlib Al Masdar News 27 January 2020 In less than 72 hours Regime forces capture 22 areas southeast of Idlib besieging Ma rat al Numan from three sides and more than 200 people killed from warring sides SOHR 27 January 2020 Syrian government forces enter town south of Idlib city Reuters 28 January 2020 Syrian army recaptures key town from opposition BBC News 29 January 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 Syrian Army captures Ma arat Al Nu man and Wadi Al Deif Base Al Masdar News 28 January 2020 Syrian Army keeps advancing in Idlib after seizing Ma arat Al Nu man Al Masdar News 28 January 2020 Syrian Army captures several sites in southern Aleppo amid push towards Khan Touman Al Masdar News 28 January 2020 100 hours of military operations in Aleppo and Idlib nearly 6 000 air and ground strikes 26 areas fall to regime forces and over 60 000 civilians displaced Syrian Observatory for Human Rights 29 January 2019 News Desk 29 January 2020 Syrian Army continues advance in Idlib seizes new town AMN Al Masdar News المصدر نيوز Retrieved 29 January 2020 Advancing front lines mass exodus and hospitals targeted in Idlib Syrian Arab Republic ReliefWeb 11 February 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 News Desk 29 January 2020 Breaking Syrian Army cracks jihadist lines for first major advance in southwest Aleppo AMN Al Masdar News المصدر نيوز Archived from the original on 29 January 2020 Retrieved 29 January 2020 a b c d Truzman Joe 5 February 2020 Hezbollah and Iranian backed militias suffer heavy losses fighting in Syria FDD s Long War Journal Retrieved 29 February 2020 a b c d Jihadist car bomb attacks target Syrian pro government forces in Aleppo Reuters 1 February 2020 Desk News 30 January 2020 Nouriddeen Al Zinki sends reinforcements to help jihadists in west Aleppo Al Masdar a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a first has generic name help McKernan Bethan 31 January 2020 Syria pro Assad forces batter Idlib and spark fears of fresh crisis the Guardian Retrieved 20 February 2020 Syria s Idlib hit by 200 strikes in three days BBC News 30 January 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 Turkish military sets 3rd observation point near Syria s Saraqib DailySabah February 2020 a b al Khateb Khaled 16 February 2020 Syrian shelling in Idlib knocks out dozens of medical facilities Al Monitor Retrieved 20 February 2020 Four FSB special forces officers reportedly killed in Syria Meduza in Latin 3 February 2020 Retrieved 29 February 2020 Malley JP O 13 February 2020 Senior commander in Iran s Quds Force reported killed in Aleppo battle The Times of Israel Retrieved 29 February 2020 Iran Announces Death of Soleimani s Guard in Southern Aleppo Asharq AL awsat Middle East Arab News amp Opinion 4 February 2020 Retrieved 29 February 2020 Iranian military officer killed in Syria s Aleppo TV English news cn Xinhua in Latin 21 March 2017 Archived from the original on 5 February 2020 Retrieved 29 February 2020 a b McKernan Bethan 3 February 2020 Turkish soldiers killed as battle for control of Idlib escalates the Guardian Retrieved 20 February 2020 The number of Turkish soldiers killed by regime fire on Tarnabeh military post rises to eight 3 February 2020 8 Turkish personnel 13 Syrian troops killed in north Syria AP NEWS 3 February 2020 Turkey targets Syria troops in deadly counterattack 03 02 2020 DW COM Retrieved 4 March 2020 Turkey Launches Deadly Airstrikes Against Syrian Forces The New York Times 3 February 2020 Retrieved 4 March 2020 Akar Hulusi 5 February 2020 Turkey s Claim of Killing 76 Syrian Troops Has Scant Evidence POLYGRAPH info Retrieved 4 March 2020 Turkey hits back after soldiers killed in Syrian gov t shelling aljazeera com Centr po primireniyu storon oproverg dannye o poteryah sirijskih vojsk rg ru 14 February 2020 Turkey Russia Can Tackle Syria Escalation Without Anger Erdogan The New York Times 5 February 2020 Erdogan says Syrian forces must pull back from Idlib posts Al Jazeera 5 February 2020 Retrieved 4 March 2020 Breaking Syrian Army captured villages of Balisah Tal Aghar Abandoned Air Defense base Jadida Tal Khatra Mushrifa in Idlib province iswnews com 5 February 2020 a b McKernan Bethan 5 February 2020 500 000 flee Syrian regime s deadly offensive in Idlib the Guardian Retrieved 20 February 2020 Regime forces encircle the strategic town of Saraqeb from three directions The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 5 February 2020 a b Saraqib falls out of opposition control What will happen to Turkey s military observation post Enab Baladi Enab Baladi 7 February 2020 Retrieved 3 March 2020 a b Syrian army enters key Idlib town Saraqeb BBC News 7 February 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 Israel hits Iran backed fighters in Syria BBC News 6 February 2020 Breaking Syrian Army crosses Aleppo Damascus Highway after capturing new areas almasdarnews com 8 February 2020 Archived from the original on 9 February 2020 Retrieved 8 February 2020 a b c d Hodge Jeremy 11 February 2020 Syria Hears the Death Rattle of the Arab Spring as Assad and Putin Forces Advance The Daily Beast Retrieved 4 March 2020 a b Syrian Attacks Draw Turkey Deeper Into Syrian War The New York Times 12 February 2020 Retrieved 4 March 2020 Syrian Army Secures ICARDA Center and Two Towns Along M5 Highway 6 June 2023 Regime rapid advancement in rural Aleppo only two km separate Syrian regime from controlling the strategic M5 The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights 9 February 2020 a b Syrian shellfire kills Turkish soldiers in Idlib BBC News 10 February 2020 Rocket attack on Taftanaz military airport leaves ten people dead among Turkish troops and proxies factions 10 February 2020 Lostarmour ID 22249 lostarmour info رتل الجيش التركي يحترق في إدلب صور 10 February 2020 Turkey says it hit 115 Syrian government targets destroyed 101 after attacks on soldiers Reuters 10 February 2020 Syrian Army captures militant stronghold in southwest Aleppo Al Masdar News 10 February 2020 a b c d Al Khalidi Suleiman 11 February 2020 Turkey says 51 Syrian soldiers killed as rebels hit back in Idlib U K Retrieved 20 February 2020 Syria Relief Healthworker Killed In Airstrike Syrian Arab Republic ReliefWeb 19 February 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 a b c Eight health facilities affected by conflict in NW Syria in one week Syrian Arab Republic ReliefWeb 17 February 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 a b c d Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Northwest Syria 19 February 2020 Syrian Arab Republic ReliefWeb 19 February 2020 Retrieved 21 February 2020 Assad forces retake key Syrian highway DW 11 February 2020 Syrian government retakes strategic highway as helicopter shot down middleeasteye net 11 February 2020 Government troops seize highway in northwest Syria as Turkey Russia talks end inconclusively Reuters 11 February 2020 Syrian regime forces carrying backpacks with UNICEF logo Syrian Network for Human Rights in Latin 19 February 2020 Retrieved 4 March 2020 Ensor Josie 21 February 2020 Exclusive Syrian forces deliberately shot elderly women The Telegraph Retrieved 4 March 2020 al Khateb Khaled 19 February 2020 Syrian army makes gains in Idlib opposition blames Turkey Al Monitor Retrieved 20 February 2020 McKernan Bethan 20 February 2020 The highway that determines the future for Syria and its citizens the Guardian Retrieved 4 March 2020 AP Explains Why Syria s M5 is Assad s highway to victory AP NEWS 14 February 2020 Retrieved 4 March 2020 Syrian Arab Republic ReliefWeb 13 February 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 McKernan Bethan 11 February 2020 700 000 displaced by Idlib fighting as Syria Turkey tensions rise the Guardian Retrieved 20 February 2020 No place to go Syrian doctor says more than 700 000 Idlib residents stranded CBC Radio CBC 12 February 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 Idlib s humanitarian crisis Plight of Syrian children left suffering and dying during attacks ITV News 12 February 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 a b Children dying from the cold in northwest Syria says IRC Syrian Arab Republic ReliefWeb 12 February 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 correspondent Bethan McKernan Middle East 12 February 2020 Erdogan threatens Assad with retaliation if more troops harmed theguardian com Vital Idlib aid deliveries resume after heavy bombing WFP UN News 14 February 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 a b c People in Idlib race to flee airstrikes as safe area shrinks in Syria Medecins Sans Frontieres MSF International Retrieved 20 February 2020 AFP 26 August 2018 Syria government forces chip away at rebel enclave Yahoo News UK Retrieved 4 March 2020 Syrian Army captures new ground in southwest Aleppo after failed jihadist offensive Al Masdar News 13 February 2020 Syrian Army presses forward in west Aleppo as they approach key base Al Masdar News 13 February 2020 SDF denies supporting Syrian government offensive against rebels in northwest Syria kurdistan24 net Retrieved 16 February 2020 a b c d Crawford Alex Syria in northwest 19 February 2020 Idlib The Syrian province where war crimes are being committed and the world is doing nothing to help Sky News Retrieved 20 February 2020 Su 34 Nga lập kỳ tich chặn đứng quan Thổ QĐ Syria bất ngờ mở hướng tiến cong mới phiến quan trở tay khong kịp soha vn Assad vows to defeat rebels as forces capture new ground AP NEWS 16 February 2020 Retrieved 16 February 2020 a b Syrian forces seize most of Aleppo province on eve of Turkey Russia talks NBC News 17 February 2020 Retrieved 4 March 2020 News Desk 16 February 2020 Syrian Army officially takes control of Greater Aleppo area as all militants withdraw west AMN Al Masdar News المصدر نيوز Archived from the original on 16 February 2020 Retrieved 16 February 2020 Syrian forces seize most of Aleppo province on eve of Turkey Russia talks NBC News 17 February 2020 Assad pledges to continue onslaught that has displaced 900 000 aljazeera com Ensor Josie 18 February 2020 Assad says Syrian regime will see victory sooner or later as hospitals and refugee camp targeted The Telegraph Retrieved 20 February 2020 Syria s military hails advance against rebels in record time PBS 17 February 2020 Breaking 2 Hospitals Bombed in Aleppo Syria Including Maternity Hospital Last in Western Aleppo Syrian Arab Republic ReliefWeb 17 February 2020 Retrieved 20 February 2020 a b Knecht Eric 18 February 2020 Air strikes hit hospitals camps in northwest Syria Turkey demands pull back U S Retrieved 20 February 2020 Erdogan threatens imminent Turkish operation in Syria aljazeera com Syrian regime shelled an IDPs camp near Deir Hassan village in Idlib on February 19 Syrian Network for Human Rights 20 February 2020 Archived from the original on 28 February 2020 Retrieved 28 February 2020 Turkish forces and opposition factions storm Al Nayrab amid fierce battles with regime forces SOHR Harun al Aswad Ragip Soylu 20 February 2020 Two Turkish soldiers killed as Syrian rebels stage assault on Idlib s Neirab Middle East Eye Retrieved 21 February 2020 a b Fierce battles continue in Al Nayrab and Turkish forces shell Saraqeb and surrounding villages intensively SOHR The New Arab 20 February 2020 Turkey launches limited operation to retake Idlib towns alaraby Retrieved 21 February 2020 Russian Su 24 Bomber almost shot down Eurasian Times 28 February 2020 Turkish backed militants attempt to shoot down Russian aircraft over Idlib video Archived 20 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine Al Masdar Turkish soldiers killed in Syria amid threats of escalation AP 20 February 2020 Clashes in Syria s Idlib kill 27 fighters monitor Archived 2 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine Daily Star Lebanon 20 February 2020 Rusya dan Idlib aciklamasi Ankara yla temas kurduk Turkiye Suriye ordusuna yonelik topcu atesini durduruldu BBC Turkish Son dakika haberleri Idlib den aci haber 2 sehit 5 yarali Milliyet Turkey Claims More Than 50 Syrian Forces Killed After Two Turkish Soldiers Killed in Airstrike Ha aretz Breaking Russia destroys 10 Turkish backed militant vehicles in northern Syria Archived 23 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine Al Masdar a b Turkey suffers casualties as Syrian government continues advance on Idlib haaretz com 22 February 2020 Retrieved 28 February 2020 Nearly 45 regime and Turkish soldiers and rebels killed in shelling and violent battles on Al Nayrab frontline east of Idlib SOHR Turkey Asks U S for Patriot Missiles to Deter Russia in Syria MSN com Turkey asks US for Patriot missiles as two Turkish soldiers killed in Idlib airstrike Telegraph V Turcii oprovergli soobsheniya o prosbe k SShA postavit ZRK Patriot RIA Reuters Editorial 20 February 2020 Turkey Russia discussing use of Syrian air space in Idlib minister U S Retrieved 28 February 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a author has generic name help Syrian regime bombed several vital facilities in Hazarin village in Idlib on February 20 Syrian Network for Human Rights 22 February 2020 Retrieved 28 February 2020 Syrian regime bombed a mosque in Ma aret Harma village in Idlib on February 20 Syrian Network for Human Rights 22 February 2020 Retrieved 28 February 2020 Regime artillery fire injures many Turkish soldiers in Jabal Al Zawiya forcing Turkish troops to retreat SOHR Syrian Army seizes 3 more towns in southeast Idlib as jihadists retreat west Archived 24 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine Al Masdar Jihadist defenses collapse in southern Idlib as Syrian Army advances across Jabal Al Zawiya Al Masdar Regime and Russian jets target Turkish post south of Idlib killing and injuring ten soldiers SOHR Several Turkish soldiers allegedly killed in new Syrian Russian air attack in Idlib Al Masdar Turkish troops respond to regime aerial bombardment on Turkish post in Kansafra while Russian raids kill five civilians in Jabal Al Zawiya SOHR a b Turkish backed militants retake key town in eastern Idlib after costly battle Al Masdar a b Factions control Neirab town nine members of the regime forces were killed in Turkish ground shelling on rural Idlib and 37 dead of the regime forces and the factions in Neirab town SOHR 24 February 2020 Retrieved 1 March 2020 Moderate opposition takes key village in northern Syria Anadolu Ajansi 24 February 2020 Retrieved 10 March 2020 Salahi Amr 26 February 2020 Kafranbel Iconic revolutionary town falls to the Assad regime alaraby Retrieved 28 February 2020 Over 15 areas fall to regime forces in south Idlib countryside in less than 36 hours and 16 regime soldiers rebels and jihaids killed in Al Nayrab battles SOHR Backed by intensive Turkish firepower rebels advance from Al Nayrab and capture new area west of saraqeb SOHR Syrian regime jets target Turkish troops at Taftanaz military airport northeast of Idlib and rocket attacks on Idilb leave four people dead SOHR Agency the Syrian army shot down a Turkish plane marching over Idlib video Archived 11 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine MBS February 25 2020 25 civilians killed in Syria Syrian Network for Human Rights 26 February 2020 Retrieved 4 March 2020 Syria footage shows rescue mission after airstrikes target schools in Idlib video the Guardian 27 February 2020 Retrieved 28 February 2020 WE ARE OVERWHELMED DOCTORS IN SYRIA S IDLIB ARE POWERLESS IN THE FACE OF RUSSIAN BACKED OFFENSIVE MSF SAYS Newsweek 27 February 2020 Syria Indiscriminate attacks on civilians must stop MSF UK 27 February 2020 Retrieved 28 February 2020 Fresh Syria strikes target schools and hospitals BBC News 25 February 2020 Retrieved 29 June 2020 Regime forces target Turkish military column in Jabal Al Zawiyah destroying at least one vehicle SOHR Two Turkish troops killed as state media intensifies attack on Russia Ahval News Syrian regime bombed a hospital in Idlib city on February 26 Syrian Network for Human Rights 27 February 2020 Retrieved 4 March 2020 Toll of civilian victims killed by Syrian Russian alliance in northwest Syria during 44 days Syrian Network for Human Rights in Latin 26 February 2020 Retrieved 4 March 2020 al Khateb Khaled 27 February 2020 Turkish backed Syrian opposition forces claim gains in Idlib Al Monitor Retrieved 4 March 2020 Turkish forces and proxy factions capture Saraqeb city cutting off Damascus Aleppo international highway SOHR 27 February 2020 Retrieved 1 March 2020 Turkish forces break siege imposed on military posts in Saraqeb while regime forces advance further into Sahl Al Ghab SOHR 27 February 2020 Retrieved 1 March 2020 McKernan Bethan 27 February 2020 Syrian rebels retake key town in Idlib from Assad forces the Guardian Retrieved 28 February 2020 Regime forces advance further in Sahl Al Ghab and ten villages separate them from having full control over Hama province and rebels carry out new offensive far east of Idlib backed by Turkish firepower SOHR a b Gurcan Metin 28 February 2020 Deciphering Turkey s darkest night in Syria Al Monitor Retrieved 9 March 2020 a b Turkish soldiers die from airstrikes in Idlib Der Spiegel a b Dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in strike in Idlib in Syria Archived 29 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian MSN Tuysuz Gul Sariyuce Isil 27 February 2020 At least 33 Turkish soldiers killed in an air attack by Syrian regime Turkish governor says CNN Retrieved 28 February 2020 Reuters Editorial 28 February 2020 Attack in Syria s Idlib killed 33 Turkish soldiers Hatay governor U S Retrieved 28 February 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a author has generic name help Simon Tisdall Erdogan is reaping what he sowed Turkey is on the brink of disaster in Syria Guardian Comment a b c Alarm after Syrian attack kills Turkish soldiers BBC News 28 February 2020 Retrieved 28 February 2020 At least 34 Turkish soldiers killed during airstrikes in Idlib Arab News Tisdall Simon 2 March 2020 Erdogan is reaping what he sowed Turkey is on the brink of disaster in Syria The Guardian Retrieved 6 March 2020 McKernan Bethan 28 February 2020 Dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in strike in Idlib in Syria The Guardian Retrieved 28 February 2020 The Strike Did Russia Knowingly Target Turkish Troops POLYGRAPH info 28 February 2020 Retrieved 9 March 2020 span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.