Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Army Drills Start in Eastern Idlib as Buffer Zone Agreement Hangs in Balance

Rasa - Led by their elite Tiger Forces, the Syrian Army started military drills and training exercises in the Eastern countryside of Idlib province.

News ID: 441119

Date: 19 October 2018 - 22:50

RNA - Led by their elite Tiger Forces, the Syrian Army started military drills and training exercises in the Eastern countryside of Idlib province.

Led by their elite Tiger Forces, the Syrian Army started military drills and training exercises in the Eastern countryside of Idlib province.

Idlib

The military drills were overseen by the prominent commander of the Tiger Forces, Major General Suheil Al-Hassan, who made his first appearance in Idlib province this month, massdar news reported.

The Tiger Forces launched the drill in a wide-open area close to the front-lines; it is very likely near the Abu Dhohour Military Airport.

With the rebels refusing to leave the buffer zone, the Syrian Arab Army has begun mobilizing their troops in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib for a potential military operation against the terrorists.

While the 4th Division has been redeployed to Southern Syria to help with the ISIL offensive, the Tiger Forces and Liwaa Al-Quds have remained near the Idlib front in case the jihadist rebels refuse to leave the buffer zone.

As of now, no military operation is planned in Northwest Syria; however, this could change in the next week if Turkey does not convince the jihadist rebels to withdraw from the buffer zone.

Also in the past 24 hours, terrorist groups, deployed in Northern and Northwestern Syria, ignored Turkish measures and continued fortifying their positions in the demilitarized zone specified in the Sochi Agreement.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the terrorist groups, deployed in the demilitarized zone in Northeastern Lattakia, Southern Idlib and Western Aleppo, remained in their positions and refused to agree with the Turkish intelligence service's attempts aimed at persuading them to withdraw from the region.

SOHR further quoted militant-affiliated sources as disclosing that the four terrorist groups of Horas al-Deen, Ansar al-Deen Front, Ansar al-Towhid and Jama'ah Ansar al-Islam that had previously rejected the Sochi Agreement have embarked on setting a joint operations room known as Vahraz al-Momenin.

Also, Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) has strongly opposed creation of a demilitarized zone under the Sochi Agreement.

Also on Wednesday, Arab media said that Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at has continued recruiting hundreds of children in Northern Syria to use them in battle against the Syrian Army after rejecting retreat from the demilitarized zone.

Arabi Al Youm news website reported that Tahrir al-Sham and its allied terrorists, deployed in Northern and Northwestern Syria, have recruited hundreds of children to train them and use them in battle against the army and its popular allies as Tahrir al-Sham has rejected to retreat from the demilitarized zone in Northeastern Lattakia, Southern Idlib and Western Aleppo on October 15.

It further said that the terrorists have persuaded the children to join them in return for a very low payment, adding that hundreds of children have been recruited by terrorists in this way.

The news website said that the terrorists' move to recruit children has enraged local people.

Aleppo

The US-led coalition dispatched a fresh convoy of military vehicles to the town of Manbij in Northeastern Syria to counter Ankara's threats about implementing the Manbij roadmap.

The US Army sent a convoy, including several vehicles, to Manbij from its base in Ein Issa in Northern Raqqa, the sources said, adding that the Manbij Military Council has kept its gunmen on alert and banned traffic of motorcycles in the region after tensions intensified in the town in recent days.

The US army sent the convoy to Manbij after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened that if the US army does not adhere to its commitments to remove the YPG from its positions in Manbij in a 90-day deadline, the Ankara forces will launch military operation in the region.

Also in the past 24 hours, Turkey-backed militants intensified plundering historical artifact in occupied Afrin region, a media outlet reported, adding that the same groups of militants are also putting children under custody in Northwestern Aleppo to force their family to pay for their release.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported that Ankara-backed militias have started excavation operations in Tal Holbiyeh in Sher region after looting historical artifacts in Qala Nabi Houri in Afrin.

It further said that Turkey-backed militants have conducted excavation operations in Tal Andara, Tal Jandaris and other historical sites in Akbas square and Albikaseh region in Rajou, adding that the under-excavation sites are on the verge of complete destruction.

Hawar news went on to say that Ankara-backed militants kidnapped a child in Afrin city and asked a hefty amount of money for ransom, adding that over 20 civilians have been arrested by the militants who have asked for almost $20,000 for releasing each.

Lattakia

Several terrorists, including a senior field commander, were killed in a blast and also in gun fire by unknown assailants in the demilitarized zone specified by the Sochi Agreement in Northern and Northwestern Syria on Wednesday.

One of the field commanders of Horas al-Deen along with a number of his forces were killed after a bomb went off near the village of Kabani in Jabal al-Akrad in Northeastern Lattakia.

Local sources said that the bomb went off when the terrorists were detecting Syrian army positions in the region.

In the meantime, al-Syaq, a commander of Horas al-Deen was gunned down by unknown raiders near the village of Kansafrah Northwest of the small town of Kafr Nubl in Southern Idlib.

Also, two terrorists from Ahrar al-Sham, affiliated to the National Liberation Front, were killed after unknown assailants opened fire at a positon of the group in Jisr Beit in al-Ghaab Plain in Northwestern Hama.

Meanwhile, local sources in Idlib city reported that Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at attacked one of the bases of the ISIL in the province that imposed several casualties on both warring sides.

Sweida

The Syrian army troops stormed ISIL's last positions in the Eastern desert of Sweida on Wednesday after the terrorists attacked the army, violating an agreement with the government and the Russian forces.

The army's artillery and missile units opened heavy fire at ISIL's strongholds in Toloul al-Safa in the Eastern desert of Sweida.

Meantime, the army's aircraft pounded ISIL's positions in the region, imposing major losses on the terrorists.

According to Fars News Agancy, the army attacks came after the ISIL violated an agreement with the government and Russian army that could make the way for their surrender to the army and let the hostages release.

The ISIL attacked the army positions after rejecting complying with the agreement.

The Syrian army troops have, thus far, liberated 3,000 square kmeters of land in their operation in Sweida desert and have now laid siege on the remaining pockets of the terrorists in Toloul al-Safa rugged terrain.

Terrorists, trapped in Toloul al-Safa, have no way but to surrender, army officers said.

847/940