RTWed, 12 Feb 2020 16:54 UTC
© Reuters / Khalil AshawiTurkish military vehicles are seen in Hazano near Idlib, Syria, February 11, 2020.
Turkey's inability to separate "opposition" from terrorist groups in Syria's Idlib is one of the main reasons behind the ongoing escalation there, Russian Defense Ministry has said, warning Ankara against "uncoordinated" actions.
The ongoing fighting in Syria's Idlib region has been triggered by repeated attacks from "terrorist groups" in the government-controlled parts of the country, the Russian military said on Tuesday. These continual attacks - documented by both Russian and Turkish servicemen stationed in the area - ultimately triggered a Syrian government offensive against the militants.
Ankara itself is partially to blame for the ongoing bloodshed, since it failed to separate the so-called "moderate opposition" groups from the internationally recognized terrorists, Moscow says. Moreover, Turkish allegations that the Syrian government is deliberately targeting civilians in Idlib are completely untrue, it added.
The civilian population of Idlib is only suffering because terrorist groups are using it as a human shield to try and hide from "the retaliatory fire of the government troops."
The situation is further aggravated "by the flow of arms and ammunition into the de-escalation zone across the Turkish-Syrian border, as well as columns of Turkish armored vehicles and troops entering Syria's province of Idlib," the statement read.
It still remains a key goal in Idlib for both Moscow and Ankara to eliminate the internationally recognized terrorist groups that entrenched in the region, as well as to provide safety and security for Syrian civilians. However, in order to prevail, Ankara should not act in a unilateral and "uncoordinated" way, the Russian side stated.
Comment: Erdogan
doubled down in abrogating the Sochi Memorandum, in a unstated effort to hold the territory Turkey's proxies still control:
The Turkish leader made his comments during a speech in the nation's parliament on Wednesday.
I announce that we will strike the [Syrian] regime forces everywhere starting from today, without being bound to Idlib and by the Sochi Memorandum, if our soldiers at the lookout posts or elsewhere suffer any harm.
The 2018 Sochi Memorandum established the de-escalation zone set up around Idlib by Ankara and Moscow to enforce ceasefire on the ground between the Syrian army and anti-government forces. Turkey also promised to clear the area of jihadist militants.
Russia
backs the Syrian position that Idlib is sovereign territory and they are entitled to clear out the terrorists, regardless of who is supporting them. Civilian casualties are always tragic, but they are due to the terrorist tactic of using them as human shields, not allowing them to leave the combat area.
Turkey has failed to clear the de-escalation zone in Syria's Idlib Province of jihadist groups, despite promising to do so under the 2018 ceasefire agreement reached by Moscow and Ankara, the spokesperson for the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.
"These groups are still attacking the Syrian forces from Idlib, as well as conducting aggressive actions against our military sites," he said.
The Kremlin's spokesperson denied that Damascus deliberately targets anyone except the militants. "The Syrian army's strikes in Idlib are strikes against terrorists, not civilians," Peskov said.
In the meantime, the SAA continues its
advance. Now, except for a tiny stretch south-west of Aleppo city, Syria has gained full
control of the M5 highway:
While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is crying foul threatening Syria with military actions, his dear al-Qaeda-linked Idlib militants are losing more and more areas to the Syrian Army.
On February 12, government forces once again attacked the militant-held town of Khan Nuran, and liberated the villages of Arnaz, Sheikh Ali, Aradah and Dhahra Sheikh Ali in southwestern Aleppo.
The Syrian Army is now advancing on positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other radical groups in Radhwan and nearby areas.© SouthFront.org
Comment: Erdogan doubled down in abrogating the Sochi Memorandum, in a unstated effort to hold the territory Turkey's proxies still control: Russia backs the Syrian position that Idlib is sovereign territory and they are entitled to clear out the terrorists, regardless of who is supporting them. Civilian casualties are always tragic, but they are due to the terrorist tactic of using them as human shields, not allowing them to leave the combat area. In the meantime, the SAA continues its advance. Now, except for a tiny stretch south-west of Aleppo city, Syria has gained full control of the M5 highway: