By numbers and statistics, control, losses, and displacement within “Putin-Erdogan” area before and after the Russian – Turkish ceasefire
The “Putin – Erdogan” area has been witnessing a hysterical escalation of air and ground bombardment and shelling since the collapse of the ceasefire on the 5th of August 2019, and since the afternoon of the 5th of August 2019, until the morning of the 21st of August 2019, the Syrian Observatory documented 2089 airstrikes targeted the countryside of Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, and Latakia, mostly targeted the northern countryside of Hama and the southern countryside of Idlib, the helicopters dropped 1184 barrel bombs, regime’s warplanes carried out 1363 airstrikes, the Russian warplanes carried out more than 787 raids, and the regime forces targeted by more than 16500 shells and missiles places in the aforementioned areas.
This hysterical aerial and ground bombardment enabled the regime forces -who are supported by Russian forces- to take control of more than 19 areas in the northern countryside of Hama and the southern countryside of Idlib, and they are: al-Arba’in, al-Zakat, al-Sakhr, and al-Jisat in the northern countryside of Hama, and Sukayk and its hill, Tar’ei and its hill, al-Hbit, Abdan, Mughr al-Hamam, Mughr al-Hanta, Kafr Ayn, Tal Ass, Mdaya, al-Mardam, al-Mantar Farms, Kafridun, and al-Sabaghiyyeh in the southern countryside of Idlib, while the regime forces have not yet entered Khan Shaykhun, Lahaya, al-Bwayda, M’aarkbeh, Latmin, al-Sayyad, or Morek so far, after they managed to force the factions to withdraw from them fearing the siege, where the rebel and Islamic factions and other factions withdrew from these areas, but Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham claimed that towns of the northern countryside of Hama are still under its control, while the Turkish point in Morek is still theoretically besieged, this accelerated advancement operations within 15 days came after a major failure by the regime forces earlier, where they received heavy strikes, especially in the battle of the 2 villages (Tal Meleh and al-Jabin) northwest of Hama, and they did not control areas of strategic importance since the beginning of the most violent escalation, until the ceasefire agreement came as a major advantage for the regime forces to take a breath, end the agreement, and start a large-scale military operation with a Turkish – Russian blessing.
The Syrian Observatory documented since the collapse of the ceasefire on the afternoon of Monday the 5th of August until the morning of the 21st of August 2019, the death of 785 people, where 98 civilians were killed in air and ground bombardment and shelling by the factions, and they are: 62 civilians including 12 children, 6 women, 4 of the “warplanes observatories,” and 3 of the civil defense and the ambulance team were killed in Russian airstrikes on Hama and Idlib countryside, and 22 including 10 children and 4 women were killed in shelling by regime’s warplanes on the southern countryside of Idlib, and 8 civilians were killed in the fall of barrel bombs dropped by helicopters on Morek and Khan Shaykhun, and 3 civilians including a child were killed in ground shelling by the regime forces on the southern countryside of Idlib, and 3 including a female child were killed in the fall of rocket shells launched by the factions on the villages of al-Jeed and Ain Salmo, which are controlled by the regime forces in Hama countryside, and 406 fighters at least were killed in airstrikes by warplanes of the Russians and the regime, the ground shelling, and in clashes against them, including 294 Jihadis and 281 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them were killed in targeting, shelling, bombing, and clashes against the jihadi groups and factions.
These military operations have also forced more than 165000 Syrian civilians to displace from their areas in the southern and southeastern countryside of Idlib and the northern countryside of Hama, since the collapse of the ceasefire on the afternoon of Monday, the 5th of August 2019, while the total number of displaced people reached more than 715000 people since the end of April 2019.
During the period between the 30th of April 2019 and the 2nd of August 2019, the regime forces were able to control more than 24 areas in the countryside of Hama and Idlib with support from the Russian guarantor, they are: al-Qassabiyyeh, al-Hamrat, al-Hardana, al-Qaroutiyyah, and Qiratah, in addition to Qal’aat al-Madiq, al-Karakat, al-Twyna, Kafr Nabudah, al-Bana, Tal Osman, al-Mestriha, al-Sharia, Bab al-Taqa, al-Jabriya, Tal Hawash, al-Toba, Sheikh Idris, al-Muhajreen, al-Hamra, al-Hwaiz, al-Hasraya, Abu Ra’idah, and the areas of al-Aziziya, and al-Rai.
It also rose to about 15255, the number of airstrikes that targeted “Putin – Erdogan” area since the beginning of the heaviest escalation, they are: 7078 air raids carried out by regime’s warplanes, 4314 barrel bombs dropped by regime’s helicopter, and 2618 air raids carried out by the Russian “guarantor’s” warplanes, in addition to more than 55710 airstrikes by the regime forces as well as the thousands of missiles and shells launched by the factions and the jihadi groups on sites of the regime forces in the “de-escalation” area during the same period.
And with the fall of more casualties, it rose to at least 3706, the number of people who were killed since the 30th of April 2019, the date of start of the most violent escalation in terms of aerial and ground bombardment, shelling, and targeting since Putin – Erdogan agreement, until the 21st of August 2019, and they are: 966 civilians including 241 children and 172 citizen women, and they are 211 including 43 children and 41 women, and 8 of the civil defense and 5 of the ambulance team were killed in Russian aerial bombardment on the countryside of Idlib and Hama, and 71 including 16 women and 10 children were killed in the fall of barrel bombs, and 496 including 141 children, 82 women, and 5 members of the rescue teams were killed in targeting by regime’s warplanes, also 109 people including 20 women and 21 children were killed in a ground shelling carried out by the regime forces, and 79 citizens including 26 children and 13 women were killed in shelling by the factions on al-Suqaylabiyah, Qamhana, Al-Rasif, Al-Aziziyah, Karnaz, Jurin, Al-Nairab Camp, neighborhoods in Aleppo city and its southern countryside, while at least 1475 fighters were killed in the Russian airstrikes and the regime’s aerial and ground shelling including 963 of the Jihadis, in addition to the killing of 1265 members of the regime forces in targeting and shelling by jihadi groups and factions.