Idlib: IDPs were killed by Russian bombing and a difficult summit today between Erdogan and Putin

Al-Jazeera correspondent in Syria reported that 16 civilians were killed today in Russian air strikes targeting a center housing displaced people near the city of Maarat Misrin in the northern Idlib countryside, while the opposition forces launched an attack on the regime's army sites south of the city of Saraqib in an attempt to recover them, and today, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets his counterpart Russian Vladimir Putin to discuss the application of the Sochi Agreement in Idlib and the ongoing escalation in northern Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that a child was among those killed in the Russian raids that targeted a gathering of the displaced after midnight, and the observatory suggested that the death toll will rise as a result of the wounded with serious cases.

The Syrian Response Coordinators documented the killing of more than 2,100 civilians, including 600 children, since the beginning of the Sochi Agreement in September 2018, and the organization documented the displacement of more than one million and 30,000 civilians between November 2019 and until the fourth of March Ongoing.

Saraqib front
On the other hand, the opposition forces, backed by Turkish artillery, launched an attack on the regime's army sites south of Saraqib in Idlib countryside, in an attempt to recover it after it had lost it two days ago. For its part, the regime forces attempted to pave a Russian air towards the town of Ephes near Saraqib al-Sharqi.

Al-Jazeera correspondent in Idlib, Milad Fadl, stated that the opposition and the regime did not achieve any progress in the Saraqib Front, despite the intensity of the attacks and clashes yesterday, as the opposition factions targeted the regime forces in the south, while the regime forces are trying to advance from the northern gate of the city towards the city of Ephes, which It is only 2 km from Saraqib.

The city of Saraqib is of strategic importance, as it is the international road complex linking Latakia and Aleppo, on the one hand, and Damascus, Aleppo, on the other.

In a related context, the spokesman for the national army of the Syrian opposition, Youssef Hammoud, denied that Russia had deployed its military police in Saraqib, and Hammoud clarified in a call to the island that the forces in the city are fighters of the Russian Wagner Group and Iranian militias. He stressed that the opposition army is proceeding with its liberation process, and any force inside the city is considered an enemy and it has the right to target it.

Control point
In another context, Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that the opposition had lifted the siege of a Turkish observation post in the western countryside of Aleppo after its control of Tel Al-Raqim. The opposition forces had taken control of the town of Sheikh Aqeel and the western countryside of Aleppo.

These field developments come ahead of an upcoming meeting between the Russian and Turkish presidents on the situation in Idlib, where Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Qalin said that President Erdogan will discuss with his Russian counterpart Putin the implementation of the Sochi Agreement, the nature of the steps to be taken in Idlib, and the withdrawal of regime forces to the borders of Turkish observation points In order to stop the violations committed by the regime in the areas of stopping the escalation in Idlib.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that in his meeting with the Turkish president, Putin looked forward to agreeing on joint measures on the situation in Idlib.

Russian scenario
Al-Jazeera correspondent in Moscow, Amin Derghami, stated that the talks of Putin and Erdogan this afternoon will be difficult in view of the deteriorating field situation in Idlib, and the great difference of views between Ankara and Moscow regarding the implementation of the Sochi Agreement, in light of the exchange of accusations between the two parties of not implementing the obligations stipulated in the agreement.

The correspondent added that talk is underway in Moscow about a scenario that will be the city of Saraqeb Al-Saghira, the last frontline between the opposition factions and the regime forces, provided that the regime forces cease their operations there.

On the other hand, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said that the outcome of Operation Spring Shield in the last 24 hours in Idlib Governorate resulted in the destruction of four tanks of the Syrian regime, 5 artillery, rocket launchers and three anti-aircraft, in addition to killing 184 regime forces and the forces supporting it.

It is noteworthy that Turkey, backed by the Syrian opposition factions, began the end of last month a military operation called "Spring Shield" after the regime forces, with Russian support, took control of large areas in the southern Idlib countryside and areas in the western Idlib countryside.