Beirut (AFP)
The Syrian regime is massing reinforcements on Saturday near the strategic city of Khan Cheikhoun, recently conquered in Idleb province (north-west), apparently seeking to continue its progress after circling a Turkish army observation post. reported an NGO.
After taking control of Khan Cheikhoun in southern Idleb, government forces on Friday seized several localities and villages held by jihadists and rebels in the neighboring province of Hama.
"The regime has massed reinforcements north of Khan Cheikhoun, in anticipation of its progress towards the region of Maaret al-Noomane", located 25 kilometers further north, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH ), which has an extensive network of sources.
Idleb Province and adjacent areas are dominated by the jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, former Syrian branch of Al Qaeda). Less powerful rebel groups are also present.
In recent days, the area of Maaret al-Noomane has been the target of raids by the regime, which continued Saturday on villages in the area, said an AFP correspondent.
Maaret al-Noomane and Khan Cheikhoun are located on a highway connecting the capital Damascus to the big city of the north, Aleppo, both held by the power of Bashar al-Assad.
According to experts, the regime is seeking to take the entire Idleb portion of this vital artery linking Aleppo to the southern border with Jordan, via the major cities of central --Hama and Homs.
Since 8 August, the regime has resumed areas of southern Idleb and northern Hama, after more than three months of deadly bombing that killed 900 civilians, according to the OSDH.
On Friday, taking control of the locality of Morek and its environs in northern Hama, the regime's forces surrounded the main observation post of the Turkish forces.
Neighboring Turkey, which intervenes militarily in Syria and supports rebel groups, has been deploying forces for nearly two years at 12 observation posts in Idleb and Hama.
"The Turkish post of Morek is surrounded, and the Syrian army will be able to eliminate these Turkish posts and eliminate the terrorists," asserted Bouthaina Chaabane, adviser to Mr. Assad, interviewed in the night on the television Al- Mayadeen based in Beirut.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed on Friday that the pro-regime forces were not far from the post but he said his country would not abandon him.
The Turkish presidency announced that Recep Tayyip Erdogan would travel to Moscow on Tuesday to meet his counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Triggered in 2011 after the regime's suppression of pro-democracy protests, the war in Syria claimed more than 370,000 lives.
© 2019 AFP