A Turkish security official announced yesterday that the Turkish observation centers in the Syrian Idlib region remain in their locations and perform their duties, despite the Syrian government forces surrounding them, after a week of an agreement between Ankara and Moscow to cease fire there.

The Turkish security official said: "There are no disputes over observation posts. There are also no violations (of the ceasefire) against the observation posts ... the observation centers will continue to perform their duties. ”He added that no heavy weapons or equipment will be withdrawn from there.

He went on to say in an Ankara statement: “The aim of the observation posts is to stop the bloodshed and the human tragedy. The step taken on March 5 should be seen as a move in this direction. "There is no such thing (an agreement was signed on March 5), and therefore everything is over. The situation has just been frozen."

According to the agreement, Turkish and Russian forces will conduct joint patrols along the M4 highway that links eastern and western Syria, and establish a security corridor on both sides.

A Russian delegation arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for talks on the details of the agreement.

On the other hand, the Anatolia News Agency reported yesterday, quoting the Turkish Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, that Turkish and Russian officials agreed on the details of the cease-fire in Idlib, and on organizing joint patrols on the main "M4" road, starting from Sunday.

The agency quoted him as saying that there were signs of a stop in the displacement in the area and the start of returns.

He said that Turkey and Russia will set up joint focal points to monitor the implementation of the agreement, after completing talks with Russian officials in Ankara.

Turkey and Russia, which support two warring parties in the Syrian war, agreed on March 5 to stop fighting in the Idlib region in northwestern Syria, after the escalation of violence led to the displacement of about one million people, and the two sides approached the brink of confrontation. The agreement addresses Turkey's main concerns, stemming the flow of migrants, and preventing more deaths of Turkish soldiers, but also reinforces the recent gains made by the Syrian government forces, and leaves the Turkish sites besieged.

About 60 Turkish soldiers have been killed in clashes in the region since last month, but the ceasefire has largely held, since March 5. Turkey established 12 military observation posts in the Idlib area under an agreement with Russia in 2018, but many of these sites are now in areas controlled by the Syrian government. Ankara had previously warned that it would expel Syrian forces from the region if it did not withdraw, but has not yet done so.

On the other hand, a person was killed by an explosive device that was placed in his car yesterday morning, south of the Syrian capital, Damascus.

A source in the Metropolitan Police, Damascus, said: "A person was killed by an explosive device that was attached to his car at the entrance to the Al-Dahdil neighborhood, south of the capital. No one was injured because there was no movement in the street, as a holiday."

The source confirmed that "the device was highly explosive, as evidence of the car's damage was very large."

Residents in the Al-Dahdil neighborhood said that the car, which was mostly detonated, was owned by a member of the national defense.

- Turkey agreed with Russia on the details of the cease-fire in Idlib.