Turkish Military Establishes Post At Idlib’s Highest Hilltop
On May 14, the Turkish military established a post at al-Nabi Ayoub hilltop, the highest point in the northwestern Syrian governorate of Idlib.
According to Enab Baladi, a pro-opposition outlet, the Turkish military scouted the hilltop and nearby towns in Mount al-Zawiya in southern Idlib a few days ago.
Rising 931 meters above sea level, al-Nabi Ayoub hilltop overlooks most of Mount al-Zawiya, a large part of southwest Idlib as well as the al-Ghab Plains in northwestern Hama.
Click to see full-size map. Source: (@Suriyakmaps) on Twitter, Via Google Maps – TerraMetrics
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) revealed that al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rejected a previous demand by Turkish forces to establish a post at the hilltop. The terrorist group, however, gave up to Turkish pressure recently and withdrew from the prominent hilltop.
The establishment of al-Nabi Ayoub post coincided with the 11th joint Russian-Turkish patrol on the M4 highway, which links the port city of Lattakia with Aleppo city.
On the same day, the Turkish military deployed 25 vehicles loaded with “military supplies” in Greater Idlib, according to the SOHR.
Turkey is making much efforts to implement the recent agreement with Russia on Greater Idlib. Nevertheless, Ankara’s military buildup in the region is clearly aimed against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies.
Source: Turkish Military Establishes Post At Idlib’s Highest Hilltop