Syrian army troops clear more villages of Takfiri terrorists in Idlib

Syrian government forces have liberated more areas in the southern countryside of the northwestern province of Idlib from the grip of foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants, as they are tightening the noose around the extremists operating in the region.

Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that government troops have established control over the villages of Um al-Khalakhil, Dhahret a-Zarzour and al-Sayeer, besides farming land surrounding al-Musheirifa village.

The capture came after "intense battles" with members of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terrorist group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, SANA added, noting that army soldiers inflicted heavy losses upon them.

 A number of the extremists managed to flee to nearby areas, and that a search operation is underway to hunt them down.

On Sunday, Syrian government forces succeeded in wresting full control over al-Musheirifa village following heavy exchanges of gunfire with Jabhat Fateh al-Sham terrorists.

Govt. forces establish control over Musheirifa village in Syria’s Idlib

Syrian government forces have established complete control over a village in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The Takfiris were using the village as a launching pad for their mortar attacks on areas in southern Idlib, which have returned to government control.

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.

“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.

“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.

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.

Russia, Turkey agree to create buffer zone in Syria

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

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 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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