Residents walk near damaged buildings in Aleppo, Syria May 5, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail
CAIRO - 22 February 2020: The Syrian Armed Forces are still targeting the supply lines and movement axes of militant groups backed by Turkey in the western countryside of Aleppo and the southern and eastern countrysides of Idlib.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday striking by missiles 21 targets that belong to the Syrian Arab Army in retaliation for an attack by the latter.
February 21
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that the Syrian Armed Forces are targeting militants concentrations and vehicles by missiles and artillery in Idlib’s countryside, precisely in Qamaynas, Jabal Al Arbaeen, the outskirts of Ariha town, Kafr Nabl, Hass, Atarib, and Darat Izza.
The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria rejected claims by Turkey that hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled Idlib to Turkish-Syrian borders.
February 20
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) revealed the withdrawal of Turkish forces and affiliate militant groups from Nayrab village eastern Idlib after fierce confrontations that caused 27 casualties among warring parties. Those are two Turkish soldiers, 14 militants, and 11 Syrian soldiers. That’s in addition to the injury of three Turkish soldiers and four Syrian soldiers.
The Syrian Arab Army backed by Russia had repelled a major attack by Turkey-backed militant groups in the village destroying their armored vehicles.
The Turkish army had also struck concentrations of the Syrian government forces in Nayrab, Saraqib, Afes, and Maara Alia.
Russian fighter jets struck militants destroying a tank, six armored vehicles and five four-wheel drive vehicles prompting Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar to state that his country does not intend to confront Russia in Syria adding that the relocation of the 12 Turkish checkpoints in the country is not negotiable.
The Syrian army also destroyed a number of Turkish vehicles that were attempting to advance towards Nayrab by building up in Qamaynas and Sarmin.
The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria announced that Russian control systems had detected artillery attacks launched from Turkish concentrations against the Arab Syrian Army and that after the Turkish side had been notified, the strikes stopped.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that was not the first time Turkey supports Syrian militants calling upon the Turkish side “to stop backing operations by terrorists and transferring arms to them.”
The militant groups backed by Turkey were able to temporarily take over Nayrab from the Syrian Armed Forces. Nayrab, which is located on the M4 highway extending from Idlib’s Saraqib to Latakia, was restored by the Syrian army from militants earlier this month.
The main militant groups that launched the attack are Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, which used to occupy half Idlib governorate, and Ajnad al-Kavkaz.
February 19
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his country would launch an operation against the Arab Syrian Army in Idlib.
February 18
SOHR reported that Russian forces targeted Turkey-backed militant concentrations near Raqa’s Ain Issa.
February 17
SOHR reported that Russia launched 100 raids against de-escalation zones in Idlib.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad congratulated Aleppo residents on freeing parts of the governorate from militants stipulating that the ongoing battle to liberate Idlib and the countryside of Aleppo governorate will continue.
The Syrian Arab Army had announced capturing tens of villages and towns in western and northwestern countryside of Aleppo. It is worthy to mention that Aleppo city was totally liberated from militants in 2016, and that the governorate is considered the industrial capital of Syria.
CAIRO - 20 February 2020: Syrian Transport Minister Ali Hammoud announced intentions to operating flights between Cairo and the Aleppo International Airport, after a nine-year closure, starting March. In an interview on Thursday with the Russian government-owned Sputnik, the minister said flights will be resumed to Cairo due to the presence of a big Syrian community in Cairo, and then to a number of other countries which he declined to name.
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