Looming humanitarian disaster | Expectations of regime invasion of “de-escalation zone”, with Russian support and Turkey’s green light
Regime forces bring in more military reinforcement to surrounding areas of Idlib city and Jabal al-Zawiyah
Syrian Observatory activists have reported the arrival of new military reinforcement, including tens of buses carrying soldiers, tanks and rocket launchers, brought in by regime forces to Maarrat al-Nu’man area, the frontlines in Jabal al-Zawiyah in southern Idlib and Saraqeb in the east of Idlib on the M4 highway.
The arrival of this reinforcement coincides with reports circulated by the Syrian regime’s media outlets regarding an imminent battle in Idlib at the same time when “Erdogan” talks about an imminent military operation in areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration in north Syria. These simultaneous developments indicate that an agreement that may be reached secretly between “Putin” and “Erdogan” stipulating for bargaining areas in Idlib with areas in north and north-east Syria region.
We, at the Syrian Observatory, warn against a looming humanitarian disaster in the case that regime forces start a large-scale military operation, with Russian support, in Jabal al-Zawiyah and Idlib city, especially since the city of Idlib and surrounding areas to Jabal al-Zawiayh host over one million and a half displaced people from various Syrian areas.