The regime forces continue to escalate the ground shelling and target the southern sector of Idlib, Latakia mountains, and Jisr al-Shughur countryside leaving more injuries

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of the rocket shelling by the regime forces on areas of the Russians –Turkish truce, where the regime forces targeted this morning by rocket shells places in Khan Shaykhun, al-Tamanah, al-Rai, and Maarrat al-Nu’man in the southern countryside of Idlib, which wounded several people, also the regime forces targeted after midnight of yesterday places in the vicinity of al-Najeya in Jisr al-Shughur countryside and other places in Jabal al-Akrad in the northern countryside of Latakia and, the Syrian Observatory published in the past hours, that escalation continues within the areas of the so-called Turkish – Russian truce through violent and heavy shelling by the regime forces within the demilitarized zone, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has monitored since today morning, Sunday the 17th of February 2019, that the regime forces targeted by more than 400 shells and missiles, separated areas in the alleged truce, where they have targeted by more than 300 shells and missiles since morning, areas in Qalaat al-Madiq, Sharia, Hwaiz, al-Twinah, Al-Hamra, Hawijah, Bab al-Taqa and others in the north-western countryside of Hama within Sahl al-Ghab, while they targeted by 100 other shells and missiles, places in Hasraya, Al-Zakah, Al-Arba’in, Al-Lataminah, Al-Taman’aa Khan Shaykhun and Maarrat al-Nu’man in the southern countryside of Idlib, the areas of Jabal Al-Akrad and Jabal Al-Turkman in Latakia countryside, places in Al-Wadihi area in the southern countryside of Aleppo, and places in the areas of Abu Omar and the vicinity of Tell Maraq in the south-eastern countryside of Idlib, raising to more than 1000, the number of shells and missiles fired by the regime forces on separated areas in the sectors of the Russian – Turkish truce in Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Idlib, in the past few days, on the other hand, the SOHR monitored renewed shelling by the factions on areas in Asilah, Salhab, Al-Suqaylabiyah  and Mahradah controlled by the regime forces in Hama countryside, in addition to the fall of shells today evening, Sunday, on places in Jam’eyyat Al-Zahraa neighborhood in Aleppo city which is under the control of the regime forces.

And the Syrian Observatory published hours ago, that The regime forces targeted areas in Jabal Al-Akrad and Jabal Al-Turkman in the north-eastern countryside of Latakia, in conjunction with the response of factions operating in the area and their shelling on positions of the regime forces in the area, while areas in Al-Zakah village and Al-Lataminah town in the northern countryside of Hama within the demilitarized zone, were subjected to renewed shelling by the regime forces by artillery and rocket shells, which caused material damage, along with similar shelling on areas in the cities and towns of Khan Shaykhun, Maarrat Al-Nu’man and Al-Taman’aa in the southern sector of Idlib countryside, which caused material damage as well as the outbreak of fires in the property of the citizens and resulted in the fall of wounded, the regime forces also targeted areas in the villages of Al-Jammassah, Sharia, Hwaiz and Jesr Bayt al-Ras in Sahl al-Ghab in the north-western countryside of Idlib, the factions also targeted areas in Mahradah city which is controlled by the regime forces and which is inhabited by Christian citizens, as well as areas in Asilah village in both western and north-western countryside of Hama, while the SOHR monitored targeting to Jabal Zayn Al-Abidin around Hama city, in conjunction with targeting to places in the area of Jurin which is under the control of the regime forces in Sahl Al-Ghab, while another shelling by the regime forces targeted places in Al-Wadihi area in the southern countryside of Aleppo, as well as other places in the areas of Abu Omar and the vicinity of Tell Maraq in the south-eastern countryside of Idlib, after the Syrian Observatory published hours ago, that it monitored renewed shelling by the regime forces on the areas of the Russian – Turkish truce, where the SOHR monitored shelling on areas in Bdama town in the western countryside of Jisr Al-Shughur city in the western countryside of Idlib province, while shelling renewed by the regime forces on areas in Maarrat Al-Nu’man city, within the southern sector of Idlib countryside, which killed at least one woman and left a number of wounded, and the death toll is expected to increase due to the presence of injured cases in serious conditions, raising the number of casualties to 21 persons including 8 children and 10 women, they are: 9 persons (3 women, and 6 children) who were killed on Friday the 15th of February 2019, as a result of the shelling on Khan Shaykhun city, while 9 other citizens were killed today, Saturday the 16th of February 2019, including a chemist, 2 children and 4 women, they all killed in Khan Shaykhun, Maarrat Al-Nu’man and Qalaat al-Madiq, as well as a woman who died affected by her injury in Sahl Al-Ghab, a woman who was killed in shelling on Khan Shaykhun city, and a woman who was killed in shelling on Maarrat Al-Nu’man city, and the death toll is expected to increase due to the presence of injured cases in serious conditions, raising to at least 250, the number of people who were killed since Erdogan – Putin agreement, they are 101 civilians including 40 children and 20 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.

The Syrian Observatory published yesterday that Bashar al-Assad’s regime and its allies are shelling, destroying, and killing within the 4 provinces of Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia, where the Russian – Turkish truce is in force, at a time when the public local, regional, and international opinion and media are preoccupied with the process of ending the “Islamic State” Organization’s control east of Euphrates River, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored ground shelling by more than 600 rocket, artillery, and mortar shells targeting areas in Khan Shaykhun, Maarrat al-Nu’man, Abdeen, and other areas between Kafr Sajna, Sheikh Mustafa, Maaret Herma area, Tremla, Qassabiyyeh, Om Jalal, Kafr Sejneh, Jarjanaz, Jamasa, Khwyn, al-Zarzour, Om Jalal, al-Shaarah, Sukayk, al-Tamanah, Talmanas, and Marshamsha in the southern countryside of Idlib, Bab al-Taqa, Sharia, Hwaiz, Hawijah, and al-Twinah in Sahl al-Ghab at the northwestern countryside of Hama, and Kafr Nabudah, al-Lataminah, Morek, Latmin, al-Zakat, al-Arba’in, M’aarkbeh, al-Sayyad, Jaberiyyeh, Tal Hawash, al-Bwayda, Atshan, and al-Sakhr in the northern countryside of Hama, and Qal’aat al-Madiq on the administrative border between Idlib and Hama, and Jabal Shashabo area, while the factions targeted areas controlled by the regime forces and other places in al-Rashedin suburb and Mansoura town west of Aleppo city, where the they targeted al-Suqaylabiyah, Qamhana, Asilah, Muhradah, Salhab, and other places in the countryside of Masyaf, which are controlled by the regime forces in the western and northwestern sectors of Hama countryside, and places in the areas of Soran and Maan in the northern sector of Hama countryside, and Jam’eyyat al-Zahra’a area on the western outskirts of Aleppo, also the Syrian Observatory monitored targeting by the factions operating in the southern countryside of Aleppo by rocket shells, for positions of the regime forces in Tal Waset at the same countryside.

The Syrian Observatory also published on Saturday the 16th of February 2018, 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.