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Assad forces strike on Khan Sheikhoun town in Idleb region, June 7, 2019. AFP PHOTO / Anas Al-Dyab

On Thursday, August 22, the official Sana news agency said, the Syrian regime has announced the opening of a corridor to allow civilians who wish to leave the region of Idleb, prey to fighting between forces prosegime one side and jihadists and rebels on the other. A summit on Syria bringing together the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey will be held on 16 September in Ankara.

Thanks to aerial bombardments and artillery, the forces loyal to the regime, supported militarily by the Russian ally, managed to advance in the province of Idleb, in the northwest of the country at war, dominated by the jihadists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and sheltering rebel groups.

Hundreds of civilians killed

Nearly 900 civilians have been killed since the beginning, in April 2019, of the military campaign of the Bashar al-Assad regime against that province as well as against areas of neighboring Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, also in the hands HTS (former Syrian branch of Al Qaeda), according to an NGO. And more than 400,000 people have been displaced by violence in the region, the UN reports.

" The Syrian Republic announces the opening of a humanitarian corridor in Surana region, in northern Hama province, to allow citizens wishing to leave terrorist-controlled areas in northern Hama and southern Sudan. 'Idleb, do it ,' said Foreign Affairs in Damascus, quoted by Sana.

A summit on Syria

The day before, the regime's forces took over the strategic town of Khan Cheikhoun in southern Idleb province. Jihadists and rebels had withdrawn from Khan Sheikhoun as well as from neighboring areas in northern Hama province in the face of the regime's advance. The Assad regime, with the help of Russia, Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah, has reconquered most of Syria. Triggered in 2011 after the repression by the regime of pro-democracy protests, the war killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions of people.

In addition, the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey will meet in Ankara on September 16 for a summit on Syria, the spokesman for the Turkish presidency said. It will discuss the agreement reached in 2018 between Moscow and Ankara on Idleb, the last stronghold of the opposition in Syria, the establishment of a constitutional commission and the way to continue the political process, said Ibrahim again. Kalin.

( with AFP )