Near Sarmada (Syria) (AFP)

The forces of the Syrian regime are advancing on Wednesday towards the key city of Khan Sheikhoun, pursuing step by step their advance in Idleb, a region of the northwest of the country dominated by jihadists and bruised by three months of bombardment almost daily.

Most of Idleb Province and segments of neighboring provinces of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia still escape the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, eight years after the start of the conflict.

This region, dominated by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) and home to some rebel groups, has been targeted for almost three months by the almost daily bombardment of the regime and its Russian ally.

Khan Cheikhoun is on the main highway that runs through Idleb and connects the capital Damascus to the metropolis of Aleppo (north), both under government control.

"The regime's forces are now four kilometers west of Khan Sheikhoun after conquering five surrounding villages," said the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH). "Only agricultural fields separate them from the city".

To the east, the pro-Assad fighters are six kilometers away and are trying to seize a hill near the city, said the director of the Observatory, which has an extensive network of sources. Syria.

Over the years, the Damascus regime has managed to consolidate its hold on over 60% of the country, thanks to support from Russia and Iran.

The current advance is part of relative progress on the ground, the forces of the regime at the expense of jihadists and rebels since the resumption of air raids and fighting on August 5 at the end of a truce of four days.

On Sunday, the regime's forces had taken over the locality of Al-Habit in southern Idleb, already approaching Khan Sheikhoun, after fierce fighting that left 61 dead on both sides. The day before, 70 fighters had perished in the clashes.

- "Very bad situation" -

On Wednesday, aerial bombardments of several towns and villages in southern Idleb killed a civilian in Maaret Hourma, who died in a Russian raid according to the OSDH.

The fighting killed 14 members of the pro-regime forces and 27 jihadist and rebel fighters, from the same source.

The intensity of the bombings and the advance of pro-regime forces have caused large population displacements in the region.

Abu Ahmad and his wife fled the town of Maaret al-Noomane, not far from Khan Cheikhoun, to take refuge in the northern town of Dana.

"The planes bomb, the artillery bombs (...) the situation is very bad," laments Abu Ahmad, 55, stopping near the city of Sarmada north Khan Cheikoun.

"We just wanted to save ourselves, we abandoned our sheep and our houses and fled," he adds.

Sitting next to him in a pickup, Oum Ahmad regrets having left everything behind.

"We have abandoned our house, our property and our land rich in watermelons, grapes and figs," she says, two little children sitting on her lap.

- "Impose a new reality" -

According to analyst Nawar Oliver, of the Turkish-based Omran Center, the goal of the regime and Moscow is not only to take back territories and the main highway, but also to put pressure on HTS, the rebels and Turkey.

Damascus and Moscow "will not hesitate (...) to control everything they can," adds the researcher.

The Idleb region has been agreed on a "demilitarized zone" concluded in September 2018 by rebel sponsor Ankara and Moscow. But this one was only partially applied, the jihadists having refused to withdraw.

Since the end of April, 820 civilians have been killed in the bombings and more than 1,280 jihadist and rebel fighters and about 1,140 members of the pro-regime forces have died in the clashes, according to the OSDH.

More than 400,000 people have been displaced in the region, home to three million people, according to the UN, which warns of a humanitarian "disaster".

Triggered in 2011, the war in Syria has claimed more than 370,000 lives and displaced millions of people.

© 2019 AFP