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Turkey
says its military personnel will stay in Idlib Province despite a ceasefire
deal with Russia, and that any withdrawal from the embattled Syrian region is
“out of the question.”
Speaking
on Thursday, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar stressed that Turkish and Russian
officials had largely agreed on details of the Idlib truce during talks in
Ankara.
“The
meetings with the Russian delegation continue and an agreement was reached to a
large extent,” he said.
Akar
also rejected reports of the Turkish troops’ pullout from Idlib, saying, “Our
elements maintain their presence.”
“Our
units are on the field; a withdrawal is out of the question,” he added.
Idlib
tensions mounted late last month after an airstrike by Syrian forces killed
dozens of Turkish soldiers, whom Russia said were “in the battle formations of
terrorist groups.”
Shortly
afterwards, Ankara waged its fourth incursion into Syria, dubbed Spring Shield,
which escalated Idlib tensions.
On
March 5, Russia and Turkey agreed on a ceasefire to stop clashes in Idlib, the
only large territory in the hands of terrorists after the Syrian military managed
to undo militant gains across the Arab country.
Under
the deal, the two countries are required to establish a secure corridor along a
key east-west highway in Idlib and hold joint patrols there as of March 15.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, the Turkish defense minister said his country would continue
its military offensive in Idlib if the ceasefire is violated.
“Our
forces have been ordered to act accordingly if the ceasefire is violated and
attacks continue. Everyone is ready at any moment … We will continue to restart
where we left off and hurt them (Syrian government forces),” Akar pointed out.
Syria
launched a counter-terrorism operation in Idlib last December after its troops
and those of Russia came under increasing attacks by militants based in the province.
The
Syrian army gains, however, coincided with a massive deployment of troops and
military equipment by Turkey, which is evidently upset by changing conditions
on the ground.
Damascus
won’t let Ankara split any Syrian territory in embattled Idlib: UN envoy
Jaafari
Syria's
Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar al-Jaafari says the Damascus government
and the Syrian nation will not allow Turkey to split and annex any part of the
Arab country’s embattled northwestern province of Idlib.
“I
can confirm that Syrian leadership besides Syrian people will not allow
[Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan or anyone else to repeat in Idlib what
happened in Alexandretta," Jaafari said in an exclusive interview with the
Arabic-language online newspaper Elnashra on Saturday.
In
1939, Turkey annexed the historically Syrian land of Alexandretta to its
territory and renamed it as the province of Hatay. The region is located on the
coast north of Latakia.
The
Syrian envoy said there is no difference between Erdogan and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "as they are both occupiers and
aggressive."
"What
we care about in Syria is the elimination of terrorism and the establishment of
full control and sovereignty over Syrian soil. If Erdogan listens to the voice
of wisdom, puts an end to his support for terrorism, refrains from destructive
interference in Syria and stops wasting the blood of forces of his aggressive
and occupying army, this will serve peace and stability of all peoples of the
region, including the neighboring Turkish nation," he added.
Jaafari
warned that if the Turkish president insists on his "aggressive approach, nothing
will prevent us from continuing our war against terrorism and all those who
support, arm, finance, and use it for political gains."
He
went on to say that Turkey has violated the 2018 Sochi agreement, signed
between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan, by converting Turkish
observation points in Syria into safe havens to protect militant groups
designated as terrorist, noting Ankara did not commit to withdraw terrorist
groups to a distance of twenty kilometers (12.42 miles) west of the Abu Dahour
road between Aleppo and Idlib.
“On
the contrary, the number of terrorists, especially foreigners, increased in
Idlib, and instead of withdrawing all tanks, rocket launchers and mortars from
the demilitarized zone by October 10, 2018, thousands of soldiers plus heavy
military hardware were deployed inside the Syrian territory. We never expected
Erdogan to honor his pledges, because this simply means the end of his reckless
adventures in Syria, and an end to his political and military interventions in
other countries,” the Syrian UN ambassador pointed out.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Jaafari stated that the Israeli regime directly supports terrorist
groups wreaking havoc in Syria, and mounts offensives on the Syrian soil to
support them.
“The
battle of Idlib is a key element of the final victory over terrorism. Everyone
knows it, and the United Nations even explicitly points to such a fact in its
official reports,” he said.
He
concluded that despite the high prices that the Syrians have paid because of
the war, "We have made important political and military achievements that
will definitely benefit the resistance front. Our battle is part of a long war,
and we will not retreat until we restore our rights in the occupied Golan
Heights.
The
remarks come two days after the Russian and Turkish presidents came to an
agreement on a ceasefire regime in Idlib, where Turkish violations have brought
about an unwarranted flare-up of already high levels of violence.
Putin
and Erdogan announced the deal on Thursday at a joint press conference in
Moscow after three hours of face-to-face talks.
According
to the agreement, joint Russian-Turkish patrols will secure a
six-kilometer-wide corridor along the M4 highway connecting the two
government-held provinces of Latakia and Aleppo.
The
ceasefire also consolidates Syrian control over the M5 highway which links the
capital Damascus to the major cities of Hama, Homs and Aleppo.
Syria
vows to continue war against terrorism following ‘positive’ Idlib deal
A
senior adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the Arab country will
continue its war against foreign-backed terrorism following a ceasefire
agreement in the northwestern Idlib province.
Assad's
political and media adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, said “Syria fights terrorism on
behalf of the whole world and it will continue to do so until it fully
liberates Syrian land.”
She
added that terms of the ceasefire deal, agreed between Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 5, were the
outcome of the sacrifices and major gains of the Syrian army.
Among
notable terms in the ceasefire, she stressed, was the liberation of the
strategic M4 and M5 highways.
According
to the agreement, joint Russian-Turkish patrols will secure a
six-kilometer-wide corridor along the M4 highway connecting the two
government-held provinces of Latakia and Aleppo.
The
ceasefire also consolidates Syrian control over the M5 highway which links the
capital Damascus to the major cities of Hama, Homs and Aleppo.
The
truce has largely held despite heavy clashes between Turkish-backed terrorists
and the Syrian army preceding the deal.
On
Saturday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said there had been no
violations of the ceasefire, according to the state-owned Anadolu news agency.
Head
of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Coordination Center Rear Admiral Oleg Zhuravlev,
however, said that terrorists violated the truce on six counts since it was
imposed 00:01 a.m. on Friday.
He
said the violations involved terrorists firing on Syrian positions in the
Aleppo and Latakia provinces neighboring Idlib. He did not elaborate on any
possible casualties.
Army
uncovers American TOW missiles in Syria's Saraqeb
Syria’s
SANA news agency reported on Friday that the Syrian army had uncovered
American-made TOW missiles and tripod mounts left behind by the terrorists
following the city’s liberation earlier this week.
Images
released by the news agency also showed other equipment, including damaged
military vehicles, left behind by the terrorists.
A
field commander speaking to SANA said that the army’s engineering units also
dismantled explosive devices blocking the M5 highway running next to the city.
SANA
reported that civilian vehicles could be seen driving through the recently
liberated highway.
The
ceasefire comes a few months after the Syrian army launched an anti-terror
operation against foreign-sponsored militants in Idlib after terrorists failed
to honor an earlier de-escalation agreement brokered by Ankara and Moscow.
According
to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), more than 1138
terrorists and 73 Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes against pro-Damascus
forces in the last 51 days.
The
Observatory - which is known to oppose the Syrian government - also said more
than 276 cities, towns and villages were liberated by the Syrian army.
Syrian
Army soldiers stand outside a building formerly used as a police station by
militants, in the town of Saraqib in the northwestern Idlib Province on March
6, 2020, after government forces gained control over it. (Photo by AFP)
The
United States reportedly blocks adoption of a United Nations Security Council
statement supporting a ceasefire agreed between Russia and Turkey in Syria’s
northwestern province of Idlib, although the deal has led to direly-needed
de-escalation in the province.
Diplomats
cited by AFP said the US stonewalled the measure that Russia's UN Ambassador to
the UN Vassily Nebenzia had asked the other 14 member states to adopt on
Friday, with Washington calling it "premature."
The
US’s standpoint was echoed by Britain and Germany. "There are a lot of
questions about how it will work in practice, who will monitor it,"
remarked British Ambassador Karen Pierce, while her German counterpart
Christoph Heusgen said, "We have to see if this will work."
The
deal was clinched amid a pressing need for pacification in Idlib, where Turkish
violations had brought about an unwarranted flare-up of already high levels of
deadly violence.
The
escalation came when Turkish forces that are tasked with manning a number of
observation posts in Syria to supposedly contribute to de-escalation efforts,
ventured outside the areas assigned to the posts, engaging with the Syrian
military.
The
province, though, began experiencing “calm” after the truce that allowed the
Syrian government to secure two strategic routes running through it, reports by
AFP and the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based
monitor, showed.
Putin,
Assad discuss Syria ceasefire
Meanwhile,
Putin told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a phone call that the truce
would stabilize the situation in Idlib, the Kremlin said.
"Bashar
al-Assad rated the outcome of the talks between the leaders of Russia and
Turkey highly and expressed his gratitude to Russia's president for supporting
the fight against terrorist groups," the Kremlin statement said.
Idlib
contains the largest remaining concentrations of militants and Takfiri
terrorists in Syria, who have fled there from concerted anti-terror drive by
Syria and its allies, Russia and Iran. Russia lends aerial support to the
Syrian Army’s operations, while Iran provides it with military advisory
assistance.
Contrary
to the Russian and Iranian involvement that came after Syria’s relevant requests,
the US and its allies maintain an illegal presence in the Arab country under
the pretext of confronting Daesh. Syria and its allies that defeated the
Takfiri terror group back in 2017 strongly oppose the American-led interference
for its complete lack of legitimacy and justification.
Diplomats,
meanwhile, told AFP that Moscow had signaled it could oppose endorsement of a
recently-signed agreement between the US and the Afghan militant group of
Taliban at the Security Council following the US’s opposition to the Syria
ceasefire.
--------------------------
Syrian
Army Win Battle Against Erdogan Forces In Idlib, But War Is Far From Over
How
does the Idlib crisis stand hours ahead of Putin-Erdogan meeting in Moscow?
This
is what the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone looks like right before
the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan, scheduled for March 5.
There
are currently five Turkish battalion task force teams operating in Idlib,
consisting of 4,700 troops, 129 artillery guns and mortars, and 15 multiple
rocket launchers (MRLs). The Turkish force’s combat capabilities are bolstered
by artillery reconnaissance, electronic warfare units, along with multiple
reconnaissance and much-feared combat drones.
Significant
losses
These
combat drones caused the most damage to the armored vehicles in Bashar Assad’s
army during the offensive – and it is drone strikes that concern the tank units
in the government forces most, as they are considered far more dangerous than
anti-tank artillery or missile systems.
Assad’s
army has suffered significant losses during the conflict – hundreds of troops
have been killed or wounded. Assad’s allies have also been affected, including
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who lost 43 soldiers in an attack on
an observation post. There have been losses in Hezbollah’s units as well, even
though they haven’t engaged in any frontline combat.
For
example, in a matter of days, 191 soldiers from the Syrian armed forces were
killed, and another 292 wounded. The army also lost tanks, IFVs and artillery
guns and mortars, though experts say most of the damaged hardware can be
repaired and used again.
Turkish
military aircraft have violated Syrian airspace over Idlib three times in
recent days. The Turkish fighters have engaged in air-to-air combat and have
downed two Syrian bombers, two helicopters and, most recently, shot down a
Czech-made jet trainer.
Jihadi
numbers dropping
Jihadist
forces have also suffered major losses. In the last three months, their
contingent has shrunk by more than half to around 12-13,000 fighters. Not all
of the losses were the result of deaths and injuries; most militants simply ran
off. The crucial point is that there are no reinforcements and the numbers keep
falling. The terrorists have also lost some of their most experienced fighters
and well-trained units.
The
situation along the line of contact has reached a precarious balance. If
Assad’s troops proceeded with their offensive, Turkish artillery and
multiple-rocket launchers (MRLs) would immediately start firing back and would
support counter-offensives by jihadi militants. Turkey has already started
supplying jihadist formations with fairly modern weapons and equipment;
including US-made armored personnel carriers, anti-tank missile systems and
man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS)
It
is still unclear who has the necessary qualifications to operate the MANPADS
within the jihadist combat units. Either the Turks have managed to provide
adequate training to the militants, turning them into top-level MANPAD
operators, or perhaps they are operating the systems themselves, disguised as
jihadists.
Turkish
side
As
for the Syrian Army, it has managed to destroy 12 unmanned Anka aerial vehicles
(UAVs) and seven Bayraktar UAVs in combat operations.
In
the first stage of the offensive, the Syrian Armed Forces didn’t have any
effective weapons to take out the Turkish UAVs. Almost all Syrian air and
missile defense troops equipped with anti-aircraft missile systems were
concentrated around Damascus. When the Pantsir and Buk artillery systems were
moved to the combat zone, the situation changed.
The
Turkish UAVs were now used during night only, and tried to stay out of reach of
the Syrian anti-aircraft missile systems. Today, Turkish UAVs are mostly
countered by Pantsir-S and Buk-M2E anti-aircraft systems. The Buk has proven to
be a highly effective weapon, having the highest number of downed Turkish UAVs
on its track record.
The
militants continue to attack Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base, but zero deaths and
little to no destruction at the base means that the air defense system there is
clearly working well. Militants have retreated to 55km away from the base and
multiple-rocket launcher attacks have almost completely stopped. Should the
Turks provide the jihadis with their MRL systems, that situation could change
again.
Refugee
exodus
There
are currently about 200,000 temporarily displaced persons on the Syria-Turkey
border, with 85,000 living in refugee camps: Hazano, Sarmada, Sheikh Hassan,
Baskaria, Darkush, and Salkin.
Meanwhile,
Turkey’s ‘Operation Olive Branch’ in Afrin in 2018 forced up to 250,000 people
(mostly Kurds) to flee the area, while the 2019 ‘Operation Peace Spring’
incursion into north eastern Syria displaced 135,000 people (also mostly
Kurds).
Turkey’s
policy of resettling Syrian Turkmen in formerly Kurdish territories has already
led to a radical change in the ethnic composition in these areas.
Assad’s
pause
To
proceed with its offensive, the Syria army would have to pause for two or three
weeks in order to restore its combat capabilities, replenishing its ranks,
weapons and military hardware.
Syrian
forces need to stock up on material, particularly munitions, that have been
used up. For that reason, they would no longer be able to liberate the
territories that run along the M4 highway by March 5.
Which
is why it will most likely be the presidents of Russia and Turkey who will draw
the final line of separation in Idlib at their meeting in Moscow. Syria News 2020
---------------------------------------
About Mikhail
Khodarenok: - is a military commentator for RT.com. He is a retired colonel. He
served as an officer at the main operational directorate of the General Staff
of the Russian Armed Forces
Turkey
has allowed its observation posts, established under a 2018 deal with Moscow,
to virtually merge with terrorist bases in Idlib, Russia’s Defense Ministry
said, amid a Turkish assault against advancing Syrian forces.
“The
fortified areas of the terrorists have merged with the Turkish observation
posts deployed under the 2018 Sochi agreement,” Russian Defense Ministry
spokesman Major General Igor Konashenko, said early on Wednesday.
“Attacks
and mass artillery fire on neighboring civilian settlements and the Russian
airbase at Khmeimim turned from sporadic to daily.”
Europe
and the United States have consistently ignored Turkey’s failure to abide by
the 2018 deal, the spokesman went on, stating that neither is “interested in
the actual humanitarian situation inside and around Idlib.”
All
of Russia's official requests to the UN and Western countries – who delivered
humanitarian aid across the Turkish border and all of it went not to refugees,
but to terrorists – remained unanswered. All we heard were the lamentations
about the need to ‘preserve the Sochi agreements at all costs.’
Despite
repeated attacks on civilians and clear links to known terrorist groups,
Western media have transformed Idlib’s armed factions into so-called
'moderates,' the spokesman said.
“Where
among these supposedly ‘opposition’ fighters in the Turkish-controlled zone was
[Abu Mohammad] al-Julani – the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, a terrorist group
officially recognized by the UN – together with his nearly 20,000 cutthroats?”
he asked.
At
a click of the finger, all of Idlib’s terrorists became supposedly the
‘representatives of the moderate opposition’ in the Western media. However, it
is not clear how the ISIS chief al-Baghdadi was recently ‘pinpointed’ and
killed, according to the US, amid all these ‘moderates.’
Ankara’s
ongoing attacks on the Syrian Army as it advances on the terrorist groups
amounts to a “violation of international law,” and yet has gone utterly
“unnoticed by anyone in the West,” Konashenkov said, despite the latter’s
professed commitment to a ‘rules-based order.’
The
remarks come amid hostilities between Turkey and Syria in Idlib, which
escalated last month. Turkey sent thousands of troops across the Syrian border
in an effort to push Syrian government forces out of the province.
Idlib
is the last large stronghold of anti-government armed groups in Syria. Turkey
was supposed to use the influence it has on some of the groups to suppress
jihadists, who are determined to continue fighting, and ensure a lasting
ceasefire. In practice, attacks in Idlib continued, and last year Damascus
forces went on the offensive, capturing large swathes of land in the south of
the province.
Damascus
has long accused Turkey of foul play, saying Ankara was fueling violence
against Syrian soldiers and civilians rather than curbing it.
This
video grab taken on March 2, 2020 shows Syrian government forces and their
allies in the strategic city of Saraqib in the southeastern countryside of the
country’s northwestern Idlib province. (Photo by SANA)
Syrian
government forces have managed to retake a strategic city in the southeastern
suburbs of the country’s northwestern province of Idlib from Turkish-backed
militants.
Syria’s
official news agency SANA reported on Monday that Syrian army soldiers and
their allies have entered the city of Saraqib after violent clashes with the
extremists and severely hitting their positions and fortified lines.
Battles
are still taking place on the outskirts of the city as the Turkish-backed
militants are trying to re-enter the area.
Army
units enter Saraqeb City after fierce clashes with Turkish regime-backed terrorists
Saraqib
has a strategic significance as it overlooks the 450-kilometer-long M5 highway.
The
M5 highway starts in southern Syria, near the border with Jordan, and runs all
the way north to the city of Aleppo near the Turkish border.
Since
2012, the M5 had been controlled by various foreign-backed militant groups.
Syrian government forces started regaining parts of the highway in 2014, but
they were only able to take full control during the latest offensive.
Syrian
army troops and their allies established control over the highway on February
10 after dealing heavy blows to Takfiris south and west of Aleppo.
The
Damascus government began road repair shortly afterwards, and the Syrian
Ministry of Transport announced on February 22 that the highway was officially
open to traffic and “at the full disposal of citizens.”
Russian
says its military police in Syria's Saraqib
After
Syrian forces entered the strategic city of Saraqib, Russia's Defense Ministry
announced that its military police had also entered the city "due to its
importance for security."
The
ministry’s statement added that the deployment was made to ensure security on
the M4 and M5 highways, which connect the cities of Latakia, Damascus, and
Aleppo.
Syria:
SAA retakes control over strategic city of Saraqib
South Africa's Closing Argument Against Israel for Genocide at the ICJ
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