The continuous escalation kills 2 citizens in Khan Shaykhun raising the death toll to 241 including 91 civilians during both presidents’ agreement

The escalation continue within areas of the Russian truce and within areas of the Putin – Erdogan agreement, where the Syrian Observatory monitored renewed the shelling by the regime forces targeted areas in Kafr Zita town and Tal Hawash village in the northern countryside of Hama within the demilitarized area, while artillery shelling trigged Shashabo Mountain area, also the regime forces targeted areas in the villages of Bab al-Taqa, al-Sharia, and al-Hwaiz in the northwestern sector of Hama countryside, while a similar shelling targeted areas in Maarrat al-Nu’man city in the southern countryside of Idlib, and places in Qal’aat al-Madiq on the administrative border between Idlib and Hama, and other places in al-Rashedin suburb and al-Mansoura town west of Aleppo city, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 3 people including a woman and the injury of more than 11 others -some of them are in dangerous situations- due to artillery and missile shelling by the regime forces on areas in the cities of Khan Shaykhun and Maarrat al-Nu’man in the southern countryside of Idlib, also the Syrian Observatory monitored targeting by the factions operating in the southern countryside of Aleppo using rocket shells for positions to the regime forces; in Tal Wasit in the same countryside, in conjunction with targeting by factions working in the northern countryside of Hama using missiles, for areas in the town of Salhab and Asilah village in the northwestern countryside of Hama, which are under the control of the regime forces, but no information about casualties, and with the fall of more casualties it rose to 240 at least, the number of people who were killed since Erdogan – Putin agreement, 90 civilians including 37 children and 15 women, were killed in shelling by the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them, among them 3 were killed in the fall of shells launched by the factions, and 67 fighters were killed in deferent circumstances within the demilitarized area since Putin – Erdogan agreement, including 14 of the “Jihadi” fighters and 23 fighters of Jaysh al-Izza, who were killed in ambushes and clashes including a commander at least, they were killed in ambushes and attack by the regime forces in the northern countryside of Hama, and 82 members of the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that areas of the Russian – Turkish truce in the 4 provinces and the demilitarized areas of Putin are witnessing an escalation of violations in the first day of the 7th month of the truce, in which the 4 provinces have witnessed nothing but death and murder, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored during the first day of the 7th month of the truce exchange of violations between both parties to the conflict, were the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them intensified the targeting by tens of shells targeting areas in the towns of al-Lataminah, Kafr Zita, Latmin, Morek, al-Bwayda, al-Zakat, and al-Arba’in in the northern countryside of Hama within the demilitarized area, in addition to same intensity of shelling targeted areas in Khan Shaykhun city in southern countryside of Idlib, which caused injuries and some of them are in dangerous situations, also areas in the towns and villages of Khwyn, Om Jalal, al-Zarzour, al-Tah and Shaarah, and Jarjanaz in the southeastern countryside of Idlib, and other areas in the villages of al-Hwaiz and Jamasa in Sahl al-Ghab at the northern countryside of Hama, and al-Rashedin area southwest of Aleppo, were shelled by the regime forces, also the factions operating in the northern countryside of Hama targeted with several rocket shells areas in Muhradah city in the western countryside of Hamah, which is inhabited by Christian citizens, and positions of the regime forces in al-Zallaqiyyat checkpoint at the northwestern countryside of Hama, also the factions west of Aleppo targeted by bullets of their snipers members of the regime forces in al-Zahra neighborhood area west of Aleppo, injuring 3 of them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours earlier that the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them continue to disavow their pledges to the Russian guarantor, and continue to violate the areas of the Russian – Turkish truce in the four provinces and the demilitarized areas of Putin – Erdogan, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored shelling by the regime forces this morning targeted areas in al-Bwayda village in the northern countryside of Hama, also artillery shelling by the regime forces targeted after midnight of yesterday areas in Jarjanaz town in the eastern countryside of Maarrat al-Nu’man and the towns and villages of al-Khwyn, al-Zarzour, Om Jalal and al-Sha’rah in the southeastern countryside of Idlib, in conjunction with shelling by them on areas in the vicinity of al-Rashedin southwest of Aleppo, and other areas in al-Lataminah town in the northern countryside of Hama within the demilitarized area, the Sahl al-Ghab at the northwestern countryside of Hama, while the regime forces opened the fire of heavy machineguns after midnight of yesterday on areas in the towns of Morek and Kafr Nabudah in the northern and northwestern countryside of Hama, also the regime forces sporadically targeted after midnight of yesterday with mortar shells areas in the agricultural land in Atshan village in the northeastern countryside of Hama, while the factions operating in the vicinity of Aleppo targeted by the bullets of their snipers members for the regime forces in al-Zahra neighborhood yesterday night which injured 3 of them, and in the same context, the educational bodies in Khan Shaykhun and Maarrat al-Nu’man suspended school hours as a result the intense shelling by the regime forces.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published last night that  regime forces renewed their rocket shelling today evening, Friday, targeting positions within the demilitarized zone as a part of the continued violations to the so-called Russian – Turkish truce, where the regime forces targeted places in Kafr Zita and Al-Sakhr in the northern countryside of Hama, and Qalaat al-Madiq, Al-Huwayz and Sharia in the north-western countryside of Hama, while the shelling targeted areas in Al-Khwaiyn and Al-Tah in the south-eastern countryside of Idlib, the factions also targeted places by several missiles, in Salhab town which is under the control of the regime forces in Hama countryside, in the same context, it rose to 9 (3 women, and 6 children), the number of casualties who were killed as a result of the rocket shelling by the regime forces that targeted Khan Shaykhun city in the southern countryside of Idlib today, Friday the 15th of February 2019, raising to at least 238, the number of people who were killed since Erdogan – Putin agreement, they are 88 civilians including 37 children and 15 women, were killed in shelling by the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them, targeting by firearm and bombardment by warplanes, among them 3 were killed in the fall of shells launched by the factions, and 67 fighters were killed in deferent circumstances within the demilitarized area since Putin – Erdogan agreement, including 14 of the “Jihadi” fighters and 23 fighters of Jaysh al-Izza, who were killed in ambushes and clashes including a commander at least, they were killed in ambushes and attack by the regime forces in the northern countryside of Hama, and 82 members of the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them.

And the Syrian Observatory published yesterday that with every meeting between the heads of Moscow and Ankara, the situation in the north of Syria is either a war for a purpose or a truce for an interest, where the interests of both parties determine the fate of millions of people who remain on the threshold of death, hunger, homelessness, displacement and camps, which have added nothing to their lives except for tragedies, pain, death, murder, and destruction, where the Russian – Turkish truce in the Syrian territory within the 4 provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Idlib, and Hama, after completing its 6th month in a row, where it was launched on the 15th of August 2018, within areas controlled by the rebel, Islamic, and “jihadi” factions and the nearby regime forces’-controlled areas, where this truce have had various violations of varying violence monitored by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in a momentary and daily manner, while its guarantors sought to let their guarantees of stopping the shelling and hostilities, after  which it was turned from a truce to reason to stop the military operation against Idlib Province, and the adjacent factions’ controlled areas, and then the agreement of the 17th of September 2018 between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, came to reinforce the truce through establishing a “demilitarized area”, stretches from the northern mountains of Latakia, passes through Sahl al-Ghab, and the western, eastern, southern and southeastern countryside of Idlib, the northern and northeastern country of Hama, and the southern suburbs of Aleppo until the northwest of Aleppo city and its suburbs, and the western part of the city.

The Russian – Turkish truce did not hold up, but rather Russian – Turkish polishing attempts, to show the “positive” role of both parties in promoting peace within Syrian territory and reducing violence, However, things changed from what they had imagined, where the jihadists who were given the deadline to leave on the 15th of October 2018 have not left, and instead of that they sought to impose their presence in the demilitarized area, of which they control more than 70% of it, and now they are imposing their presence and control over most of it, also they turned around the agreement of withdrawing the heavy weapons, through burying them in trenches set up within the demilitarized area. And after the agreement insisted on their departure; the 5th month of the Russian – Turkish truce agreement and the 3rd month of their deadline of their leave from the demilitarized area, witnessed the expansion of the “jihadi” groups, which includes thousands of non-Syrian national fighters, and the expansion came through an attack by Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham ended by imposing its control over about 9000 square kilometers, which is equivalent to about 4.8% of the Syrian territory, and the displacement of fighters of Ahrar Sham and the National Liberation Front towards Afrin area.

The 6 months of the Russian – Turkish truce in the 4 provinces of Idlib, Hama, Latakia, and Aleppo have witnessed the fall of large number of casualties, where the Syrian Observatory documented death of 138 citizens including 57 children and 27 women, they were killed in air and ground shelling, they are 22 citizens including 9 children and 5 citizen omen were killed in bombing by warplane Russian, and all the casualties were killed in the provinces of Idlib, Hama, and Aleppo, and most of them were killed in Idlib and Hama, also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 3 citizens including 2 children; they were killed in bombing by regime’s helicopters using barrel bombs, and 96 citizens including 40 children and 17 women were killed in shelling by the regime forces using missile and artillery shells, and on the Turkish – Russian truce areas in Idlib, Hama, and Aleppo, and 17 citizens including 6 children and 5 citizen women were killed in the fall of shells launched by Ansar al-Tawhid faction on Muhradah city, which is controlled by the regime forces in the northwestern countryside of Hama, and in the fall of shells on Aleppo city, also 74 fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions were killed in aerial bombing and shelling by the regime forces on the countryside of Idlib and Hama, including 8 “Jihadi” fighters and 23 fighters of Jaysh al-Izza, they were killed during clashes and ambushes, and about 88 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them were also killed.

The Syrian Observatory documented the casualties who were killed during the period of Putin – Erdogan agreement of the demilitarized area, they are 88 civilians including 36 children and 15 citizen women, they were killed in shelling by the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them and targeting, including 3 were killed in the fall of shells launched by the factions, and 56 fighters were killed in different circumstances within the demilitarized area, since Putin – Erdogan agreement, including 12  “jihadi” fighters and 23 fighters of Jaysh al-Izza, they were killed during clashes and ambushes including one commander at least, they were killed in ambushes and attacks by the regime forces in the northern countryside of Hama, and 82 of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored in the recent weeks 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 areas controlled by the rebel and Islamic factions, the National Liberation Front, Islamic Turkestani Party, Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, and Hurras al-Dien; also witnessed preparations to confront these large mobilizations if the battle began, so they dug tunnels, trenches, strengthened their positions, and increased their guard numbers and their fighters on the fronts.