The Russian – Turkish truce completes its first month after shelling by more than 2850 shells, barrels, and raids by the regime and the Russians leaving tens of casualties, injuries, and tens of thousands displaced
The Russian – Turkish truce which includes Aleppo, Hama, Latakia, and Idlib is witnessing a cautious calm in terms of shelling and targeting, where the truce has completed its first month of operation, since it was launched on the 15th of August 2018, where the calm has been prevailing the truce areas since the hours of last night, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored during the last month that the regime forces carried out artillery, missile, and aerial bombardments, in conjunction with bombardment by warplanes by Russian forces, and the shelling –which was documented and monitored by the Syrian Observatory– caused casualties of civilians and fighters, and destroyed property of citizens, infrastructure, and military headquarters, and caused the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians from this villages, towns, and cities in the southern and southeastern countryside of Idlib, the northern and northwestern countryside of Hama, Jisr al-Shughur area, the northern countryside of Idlib, the Syrian – Turkish border, Afrin area, and the western countryside of Aleppo.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented shelling by about 350 raids and barrel bombs carried out by Russian warplanes and regime’s helicopters, where warplanes carried out at least 140 raids, and the helicopters dropped about 210 barrel bombs, amid shelling by about 2500 missile and artillery shells on the current areas of the Turkish – Russian truce, which killed 54 people since the 15th of August until today the 15th of September 2018, they are: 3 citizens including 2 children were killed in barrel bombs bombardment by regime’s helicopters, 15 citizens including 5 children and 2 women were killed in shelling by the regime forces’ artillery and missile shells on areas of the Turkish – Russian truce in Idlib, Hama, and Aleppo, and 17 citizens including 7 children and 4 citizens were killed in bombardment by Russian warplanes, also the casualties were killed in the provinces of Idlib, Hama, and Aleppo, the overwhelming majority of them were in Idlib and Hama, and 7 fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions were killed in aerial bombardment and shelling by the regime forces on the countryside of Idlib and Hama, also 12 citizens including 6 children and 5 citizens were killed in the fall of shells launched by Ansar al-Tawhid faction on the regime forces-controlled city of Muhradah in the northwestern countryside of Hama and the fall of a shell on Aleppo city, and tens of others were injured with varying severity.
Also, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored tens of thousands of citizens from the southern and southeastern countryside of Idlib, and from Sahl al-Ghab, Jisr al-Shughur area in the western Idlib countryside, and other areas in the northern countryside of Hama displacing towards the northern countryside of Idlib and Afrin area in the northwestern countryside of Hama and the western countryside of Aleppo, and to areas near the Syrian – Turkish border, to move away from the increased shelling in the last week in particular.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the increase in pace of regime’s preparations to start the grand battle of Idlib, and the Syrian Observatory learned from intersected sources that the regime forces have mobilized the majority of their forces who fought previously against the factions and the “Islamic State” organization, and moved them to the contact lines and clash fronts in the countryside of Idlib, Hama, Latakia, and Aleppo, in order to have the upper hand in the battle, for which they have mobilized more than 2000 armored vehicle so far, and called for tens of thousands of members of their forces and the gunmen loyal to them, in addition to summoning their officers and operation commanders, headed by the Brigadier General Suhail al-Hassan, known as the “al-Nemr” (the tiger), while the regime forces are following the tactic of scattered shelling, through moving the shelled area between the day and the other, and concentrating the shelling each time on an area without the other, to disperse fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions, Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamic Turkestani Party, and the factions operating in factions’ controlled areas north, east, and west of the contact line between the regime forces and the factions, extending from the northern mountains of Latakia to the southern countryside of Aleppo passing through Sahl al-Ghab and the eastern and southeastern countryside of Idlib, while the areas of control of the rebel and Islamic factions, the National Liberation Front, the Turkestani Islamic party, Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, Hurras al-Dien Organization also witnessed preparations to confront these large crowds if the battle was launched, where they dug tunnels and trenches, strengthened their positions and points, and increased the number of their fighters on the fronts.
The SOHR also published today the 13th of September 2018, that it obtained information from several reliable sources that military movements are taking place through the border between Iskenderun and Idlib, and in the details confirmed by the Syrian Observatory’s reliable sources: tens of trucks have entered Idlib province and its surroundings through Kafrluseen crossing, where about 185 trucks have entered under the supervision of the Turkish forces to the National Liberation Front, which is operating in Idlib province, the countryside of Hama and their surroundings, the sources confirmed that the trucks carry military equipment, weapons, and ammunition including missiles, also the sources confirmed that Kafrluseen crossing –which was opened by the Turkish authorities during the process of establishing control posts of the Turkish Forces in Idlib Province– have witnessed in the recent days the entry of these arms shipments, in conjunction with the absence of warplanes and helicopters of the regime and the Russians from the airspace areas of the Russian – Turkish truce in Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, and Latakia.