Syrian forces to cease fire in Idlib de-escalation zone from Saturday: Russia

The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria says Syrian government forces would cease fire in the de-escalation zone of Syria’s embattled northwestern province of Idlib from Saturday morning.

An agreement was reached on “a unilateral ceasefire by Syrian government forces in the Idlib de-escalation zone from 6:00 a.m. (0300 GMT) on August 31,” the center said in a statement released on Friday.

The statement said the ceasefire aimed “to stabilize the situation” in Idlib, urging foreign-sponsored Takfiri militant groups in the region to “abandon armed provocations and join the peace process.”

The announcement came after an unnamed Syrian military source said government forces had gained control over 10 villages located east of the already liberated town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province.

Russia’s Sputnik news agency quoted the source as saying that the villages of Khwein al-Kabir and al-Saqiyat, al-Tamanah town as well as Tall Saqiyat, Tall Turki, Tall Seyed Ali, Tall Sayyed Jaafar in addition to the western and eastern outskirts of Tamanah were purged of Takfiri terrorists by the morning of August 30.

PressTV-Syrian army retakes more towns in Idlib province

Syrian army, allied forces retake more areas in Idlib province as the war against terror groups winds down.

Syrian army forces continued advancing in the southern and the southeastern flanks of Idlib, striking the fortified positions of terrorist groups, pushing them out of their bastions and inflicting heavy losses on them, the Syrian military source said.

 On August 5, the Syrian army declared in a statement the start of an offensive against foreign-sponsored militants in Idlib after those positioned in the de-escalation zone failed to honor a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey and continued to target civilian neighborhoods.

PressTV-Syria officially declares liberation of Khan Shaykhun

A military statement said the liberation came "with great resolve and complete belief in victory."

“Even though the Syrian Arab Army declared a ceasefire in the de-escalation zone of Idlib on August 1, armed terrorist groups, backed by Turkey, refused to abide by the ceasefire and launched many attacks on civilians in surrounding areas,” SANA cited a statement released by the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces.

PressTV-Syria retakes cluster of towns in last terrorist bastion

Syrian government forces have seized control of a pocket of territory in Hama province in the country’s northwest.

“The Turkish regime’s persistence in allowing its terrorist pawns in Idlib to carry out attacks proves that Ankara is maintaining its destructive approach and is ignoring its commitments as per the Sochi agreement. This has emboldened terrorists to fortify their positions, and led to the spread of the threat of terrorism across the Syrian territory,” the statement added, referring to the Russian city where the truce deal was agreed upon.

The Syrian military’s statement came a day after Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would launch a military operation in a Kurdish-controlled area in northern Syria.

PressTV-Russia, Turkey agree Idlib demilitarized zone

The deal was hammered out after lengthy talks between the Russian and Turkish leaders in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Under the Sochi agreement, all militants in the demilitarized zone that surrounds Idlib and also parts of the provinces of Aleppo and Hama were supposed to pull out heavy arms by October 17 last year, and Takfiri groups had to withdraw two days earlier.

The National Front for the Liberation of Syria is the main Turkish-backed militant alliance in Idlib region, but the Takfiri Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorist group, which is a coalition of different factions of terror outfits largely composed of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, holds a large part of the province and the zone.

The HTS, which is said to be in control of some 60 percent of Idlib, has yet to announce its stance on the buffer zone deal.

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