H-T-S military escalation in February | Nearly 20 regime soldiers ki*lled in four days in “de-escalation zone”

Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham continues its military escalation against regime forces in “Putin-Erdogan” area as a part of its efforts to gain populist support and entrench its presence and influence further in this region, exploiting the public rejection in areas under its control of the Turkish-Syrian rapprochement. Since early February, SOHR activists documented scores of operations by HTS against regime forces in the “de-escalation zone,” which left 25 regime soldiers and loyalists and six HTS dead, as well as the injury of a regime soldier. These operations can be summarised as follows:

 

• February 1: Three regime soldiers were killed by snipers of “Abi Bakr Al-Siddek” Brigade, which belongs to HTS, on Kafr Nobl frontline in southern Idlib countryside within the “Putin-Erdogan” area.

 

• February 1: Eight regime soldiers, including a major, were killed, where HTS’ artillery regiment fired shells and “Al-Katyusha” missiles on regime’s military headquarters on the frontline of Kafroma town in southern Idlib countryside.

 

• February 3: A regime soldier was injured by gunshots by “Al-Fath Al-Mubin” factions on Maarat Mokhas frontline in southern Idlib countryside. On the same context, “Al-Fath Al-Mubin” factions fired heavy artillery shells on regime positions on the frontline of Al-Baraka village in Sahl Al-Ghab north western of Hama.

 

• February 4: A regime soldier was shot dead by an HTS sniper on Saraqeb frontline in the eastern countryside of Idlib in “Putin-Erdogan” area.

 

• February 4: Six members of HTS were killed, due to the infiltration operation on Tel Al-Borkan frontline in northern Lattakia countryside. Accordingly, the number of people killed among the regime forces and HTS has risen to 13 on that day, including six HTS members and seven regime soldiers.

 

The military escalation by Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham coincides with ongoing efforts by the Turkish government to normalise the relations with the Syrian regime and implementation of Russian-Turkish agreements which are designed to enable regime forces to take control of more areas and curb HTS’ activities in Idlib city and countryside.

 

On February 1, SOHR sources reported that the Turkish forces moved cement blocks from the Turkish checkpoint in Qaston town in Sahl Al-Ghab area in north western Hama countryside towards the northern checkpoint, where the Turkish trucks crossed the road between Aleppo and Lattakia, and headed towards the checkpoints on northern of the road between Aleppo and Lattakia.

 

Since early 2023, SOHR has documented 30 operations in the “de-escalation zone,” including attacks, gunfire by snipers and bombardment, which left 83 combatants and civilians dead. In addition, these operations left over 48 combatants and six civilians, including children, injured.

 

The fatalities can be distributed as follows:

 

• Three civilians were killed by regime forces.

 

• 56 members of regime forces, including five officers.

 

• 22 members of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham, including a French jihadist.

 

• Two members of the jihadist faction of “Ansar Al-Tawheed.”