Beirut (AFP)

Fighting in the Idleb region, bordering Turkey, which the regime is trying to recapture with jihadists and rebel groups with Moscow's support, has left at least 51 dead in both camps on Tuesday, according to the Syrian Observatory. human rights (OSDH).

Part of Idleb Province (north-west) and adjacent areas of Aleppo and Latakia provinces remain dominated by the jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, former Syrian branch of Al Qaeda). Pro-Turkish rebel groups are also present.

Supported by the Russian air force, the regime's forces have resumed in recent days several localities, continuing their ground offensive launched August 8, after four months of bombardment almost daily.

Since last Wednesday, these regime forces have taken over the key town of Khan Sheikhoun, and several localities in Hama, to the south, encircling an observation post of the Turkish army.

They have massed Saturday reinforcements in Khan Cheikhoun and are now targeting the region of Maaret al-Noomane, further north, according to the OSDH. These two cities 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.

On Tuesday, rebel fighters and jihadists attacked loyalist positions in the southern region, the OSDH said.

"Violent clashes erupted east of Khan Sheikhoun at dawn after attacks by jihadist and rebel groups on the regime's positions," said the director of the NGO, Rami Abdel Rahman.

The attack was led by fighters from two jihadist groups, he added.

The fighting killed 23 pro-regime fighters and 20 in the other camp, including 13 jihadists, according to the OSDH.

According to the same source, eight rebels were also killed in the south-west of the bastion as they sought to infiltrate near the regime's positions near the Abu Douhour military airport.

On Monday, air raids by the regime and Russia killed 12 civilians in the region, the source said.

This offensive comes despite an agreement on a "demilitarized zone", unveiled in September 2018 by Russia and Turkey, sponsor of rebel groups, to separate government zones from jihadist and insurgent territories.

The situation was to be on the agenda of talks between Turkish and Russian presidents in Moscow on Tuesday.

Since the end of April, the bombings of the Russian power and ally have killed about 900 civilians in the Idleb region, according to the OSDH. And more than 400,000 people have been displaced, according to the UN.

Triggered in 2011 by the repression by power of pro-democracy protests, the war in Syria claimed more than 370,000 lives.

© 2019 AFP