As Putin – Erdogan agreement enters its 3rd month, their “disarmed” area is unsteady, and the regime and the “jihadi” factions operating there mobilize for a mysterious future
The highlands and mountains in the northern and northeastern countryside of Latakia, and areas in Sahl al-Ghab at the northwestern countryside of Hama, are witnessing calm blended with cautious of all parties of the conflict there, where renewed skirmishes and targeting take place between the regime forces and the factions operating there almost daily, in the shadow of military movements of the jihadi factions rejecting the Russian – Turkish agreement and the so-called demilitarized area, where the movements come at a 20 km within the northern Latakia countryside and Sahl al-Ghab, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored these factions continue to bring in military reinforcements to ensure the protection of their points and strengthen their military power, amid intense monitoring and reconnaissance in the area, fearing any military operations anticipated by the regime forces and their loyal gunmen, at a time where all attempts by the Turkish intelligence to persuade these factions to withdraw from the buffer area have failed, sources told the Syrian Observatory that the points in which the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them are positioned, which are scattered all over the contact points with the factions operating in the northern and northeastern countryside of Latakia, are witnessing remarkable movements, where military reinforcements were brought of the NDF forces and the 4th Division, which warns of preparations by them for a new attack on the area.
Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham has also recently raised its readiness, and it is constantly fortifying its positions and points, bringing more fighters and conducting intensive training for its elite forces, as well as opening the door for enlisting within its ranks, either from the rest of the factions or from those wishing to do so, through its increased campaign to add new fighters since the beginning of November 2018, probably, tens of members of Rahman Corps of who came from Damascus and Rif Dimashq; are the most prominent of those who joined the ranks of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and spread in areas at the countryside of Latakia.
In the same context, the “Wa Harred al-Mu’minin” Operations room (incite the believers), which includes Hurras al-Dien Organization, Ansar al-Din, Ansar al-Tawhid, and Ansar al-Islam, controls the important sites and points in Sahl al-Ghab and Latakia countryside, which are located on the first lines of fire with the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, this operating room includes the most extremist fighters who are known as the “intrusive forces”, who continuously carry out attacks on positions of the regime forces in Latakia countryside and, shell areas under the control of the regime forces in Latakia countryside and the northwestern countryside of Hama.
Also in Joureen front, one of the largest centers of power of the regime forces in Sahl al-Ghab, the “jihadis” headed by the Islamic Turkestani party and Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham control most of the factions’ military positions in Sahl al-Ghab near Joureen Camp, and the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights monitored them bringing tanks and heavy machines to this areas in Sahl al-Ghab, in addition to digging trenches and making barricades in the mentioned area on the evening of the 14th of November 2018, so that the demilitarized area remains on a hot tin, and neither Putin Erdogan agreement has given the wanted results nor the movements and mobilizations within this area give a good omen for the Syrian people, who have been burdened by the war and its consequences over the past years.